Chaffinch

One from yesterday.

Phillip.

Nikon D200
Focal Length: 500mm
Optimize Image: Custom
Color Mode: Mode III (Adobe RGB)
Long Exposure NR: Off
High ISO NR: Off
2006/11/09 16:09:12.2
Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority
White Balance: Auto
Tone Comp.: Low Contrast
Compressed RAW (12-bit)
Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern
AF Mode: AF-C
1/60 sec - F/5.6
Flash Sync Mode: Not Attached
Saturation: Normal
Exposure Comp.: 0 EV
Sharpening: Normal
Lens: 500mm F/4.5 D
Sensitivity: ISO 400

Hi Phillip

I like it, and a good example that you don't always need to get those soft blurry backgrounds to create good portraits of small birds. The habitat works well as does the reflection.

You might want to consider just cloning out the twirly dead grass thing above the chaffinch, and also the white grass stem above the chaffinches head. I find them a slight distraction, although this is a minor quibble on my part.

At first glance I thought the colour balance was wrong on this shot. Then I spotted it was posted in Adobe RGB colour space. When I opened the image in Photoshop it looked much better. Red and oranges really look subdued on a sRGB monitor if the image hasn't been converted into sRGB colour space.

cheers

Sean

Hi Phillip

Nice shot and I like the pose and puffed up feathers - in this image I don't mind the busy BG etc as the bird pops well!

David

Hello Philip
I like it, it's a different setting to the norm.
Best wishes
Phil

Agree with the above comments made, I do like the watery setting as it's different, loads of detail & dof

Vince

A nice image here Philip, like the setting, although I personally would like more space for the bird to look into..