Posted by Andy Astbury on December 12, 2008 at 4:45 AM
Not too inspiring an image pose-wise - don't know about anyone else but I always find males "strut their stuff" a bit more than the ladies
Not seen a male all week (thanks to Danny for jinxing me over the phone )
Like I said, not the most striking pose but I was quite pleased with the session considering the poor lighting.
My feed station is quite big and I've got it shoe-horned into quite a tight area - if I move it more into the open it gets hit by Miss Whiplash herself - a big female spar
So the surrounding trees make it hard for her to get a good run at and I get a lot more birds on the station - but with the drawback of slightly lower light levels.
I even had a Jay pay me a visit yesterday - for all of about 2 seconds - now that could prove interesting if it becomes a regular
Log needs replacing due to fat-staining - oops!
D300
300-800 @ 650mm
ISO 1000
1/500 @ f6.3 +0.7EV
Zero crop
Posted by jack chapman on December 12, 2008 at 5:52 AM
very nice image, the background and perch are great, might i suggest you darken the blacks a bit in levels though
Posted by John Chapman on December 12, 2008 at 7:09 AM
Beautiful image Andy.
Posted by Tim Munsey on December 12, 2008 at 8:22 AM
Very tidy Andy, good to see you have the birds well trained.
Tim
Posted by Andy Astbury on December 12, 2008 at 8:26 AM
Jack the blacks look right to me
Thanks John
Timothy - me old matey if only I could get this degree of success with "her indoors"
Posted by Brian Irving on December 12, 2008 at 9:50 AM
Hi Andy
Great pic, love the BG, a splash of flash may have given the whites a lift, but hey, wish it were mine!
Brian
Posted by Andy Bate on December 12, 2008 at 9:58 AM
nice work sir! if you had her indoors well trained ud have to find another excuse to get out and take pictures!!!!
Posted by Major Gilbert on December 12, 2008 at 12:52 PM
Very neat Image Andy. Nice one.
Major
Posted by Charles R Kerr on December 12, 2008 at 4:05 PM
G'day Andy I reckon your picture is that close to spot on, it doesn't matter, the detail is in my point of view just great, I could come over there and be able to identify Great Spotted Woodpecker.
Charles R Kerr
Downunder,
Posted by Matt Cole on December 13, 2008 at 3:09 AM
another nice GSW shot Andy, your feeding station gives you very pleasing backgrounds.
Nicely captured Andy.
Only minor nits are the small bits of food visible on the beak and the fat staining as you mentioned.
Soft lighting works great and I love that old weathered birch branch.
Posted by Magnus Hird on December 13, 2008 at 1:55 PM
Very nice Andy, well exposed, interesting looking perch and simple background
Discussion
12 repliesNot seen a male all week (thanks to Danny for jinxing me over the phone
Like I said, not the most striking pose but I was quite pleased with the session considering the poor lighting.
My feed station is quite big and I've got it shoe-horned into quite a tight area - if I move it more into the open it gets hit by Miss Whiplash herself - a big female spar
So the surrounding trees make it hard for her to get a good run at and I get a lot more birds on the station - but with the drawback of slightly lower light levels.
I even had a Jay pay me a visit yesterday - for all of about 2 seconds - now that could prove interesting if it becomes a regular
Log needs replacing due to fat-staining - oops!
D300
300-800 @ 650mm
ISO 1000
1/500 @ f6.3 +0.7EV
Zero crop
Larger version http://wildlifeinpixels.com/img/dec/WIP00024463.jpg
Ain't D300's great!!!
Thanks for looking
Tim
Thanks John
Timothy - me old matey
Great pic, love the BG, a splash of flash may have given the whites a lift, but hey, wish it were mine!
Brian
Major
Charles R Kerr
Downunder,
Matt
Only minor nits are the small bits of food visible on the beak and the fat staining as you mentioned.
Soft lighting works great and I love that old weathered birch branch.
Steve
BTW Be nice to 'see behind the scenes' one day