American Goldfinch (?)

Len you have used the narrow dof here to create a charming image. The white blur and lack of leaves give me the feeling of winter. Beautiful yet subtle colors make a lasting impression. Very nice.

Best Always,

Holger

Lovely subject, very interesting framing, pleasing colours.

Perfect!  Beautiful lighting, excellent detail and natural framing, oh, and a really cute subject... Mike

Thanks for your visit.  Narrow DOF is thanks to my kit 55-200mm used at 200mm & wide open (f5.6)  The close range, about 10 ft., also helps narrow the DOF somewhat.  The background colour comes from the leaves which haven't fallen yet.  But you are right, winter has fallen upon us.  The fine details apparent here tend to wash out with an increase in contrast so I left it low.  'Subtle' works sometimes  & this is one of those.  Best, LM.

And I didn't have to go far to record it.  (Backyard) :-) The branches, as a natural frame, were a bonus.  Thanks for your participation.  Best, LM.

In winter they could be called Coldfinches.  Low contrast, overcast lighting, is best for revealing the fine details throughout but the compromise is the less desirable but still acceptable higher ISOs required for the lower light levels.   The day previously I had just cleaned & refilled the feeder with a product called 'Bird Candy', a special mixture of seeds.  Seems to have worked.  This morning I spotted many of the birds on the ground pecking at the seeds the 'little pigs' of yesterday carelessly spilled.  Yah, they are kind of cute, especially when they flaunt their new winter coats as this one is doing.  :-)  Best, LM.

Hi Len,

  Beautiful capture with wonderful details, colors & I love the natural framing.  Excellent image!! Take care, Patsy

Thanks for the validation.  My favourite of the 50+ I took yesterday.  Amazing how many shots one can take when the camera is set to 'continuous' shooting.  :-)  Also amazing how fast their heads turn causing blur.  1\250 second is only good if they stay still, and they rarely do, for long.  Best, LM.

The bokeh in the background works fantastic, Len!

Best regards

PDE

Thanks for the visit & comment.  Re: bokeh, see my reply to Mike, above.  Best, LM.

Good to hear from you again.  Many thanks for your visit & comment.  Hope all is well for you.  Best, LM.

Cute little chap and he even provided his own frame! 

I see you cranked the ISO up to 1800 to achieve the 1/250 sec shutter speed/ or did you do it the other way round and select the shutter speed.  Either way it was a wise move Len it certainly paid dividends! And no visible issues with noise either. 

Very well done! 

Best Regards 

Alf 

Thanks for your most welcome visit.  Life is full of compromises and the making of this photo is no different.  For relatively high quality I like to keep the ISO under 1000, the shutter speed for these quick moving little creatures at 1\500 or shorter,  and my f stop around f11 for adequate DOF.  However, in the heavy overcast light found at this location some adjustments had to be made.  I only have kit lenses which max out at f 5.6 at the long end.  So it's a wonder I got an image at all.  To top things off this one is also close to 100% crop. (really on the edge, photographically) In truth, noise doesn't bother me as much as an unsharp image so shutter speed gets top priority while ISO gets bottom.  If I get a sharp catch light in the eye I'm happy.  Have a Merry Christmas & a happy New Year & I'll catch up with you in 2015.  Best, LM.

I rarely get the opportunity to shoot pictures of birds in such natural settings.  This is perfect!  He's nestled in so nicely between the branches.  Beautiful DOF and exposure.  You did really well making up for your challenges with the image.  If you have an editing program that would let you brush the eye to bring out a bit more highlight, I'd like that.  But that's a small nit on a beautiful image.

Thanks for your thoughtful critique.  Always a pleasure to hear from you.  I've managed to get some acceptable (to me) bird photo results with my kit 55-200 by standing close to their food supply and apparently just outside their comfort zone.  (about 10 ft)   It helps if there is a well used feeder nearby.  You may have to stand very still for 15 or 20 minutes but if you move your camera very slowly this is what you can reasonably expect.  The eye catch light you speak of was in fact enhanced already in photoshop but it seems that in my efforts to make the sparkle seem natural I didn't go far enough.  No problem, one can always increase the manipulation for optimum effect.  My biggest fear is in going with too heavy a hand at the start.  Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.  See you in 2015.  Best, LM.