Split Second Pose!

Kind of a bland shot, but I liked the lighting.

Yes, the lighting is very nice. . . is this a juvenile?

Could be, Donna - he/she is a little smaller than they usually are. We had about 6 of them around this morning.

Wonderful bird; background's a little odd.

Mark, the background is shrubs/trees at quite a distance behind the stump. There is a section of our yard that is all bare, then trees/shrubs are at the edge. I guess that's what gives the background a very muted look. I didn't touch the background at all; only cloned out some birdseed on the stump itself.

Tufted Titmice are really hyperactive, at least in my yard they are. Kim, you did a good job getting this shot! He has sort of a quizical tilt to his head. Nice background too. Regards.

Very cute!

 

jerry

Walter, they are hyper in our yard, too - that's why I titled this "split second pose"! I got only one shot that was decent and the rest were just tail feathers! Thanks for stopping in, and also to you, too, Jerry.

That's a great shot, Kim, and I really like the background. All the tones fit well together. This is where auto-focus helps for that "split-second" shot. I'd still be fiddling with the lens. I have yet to get a decent shot of a Cardinal. Our yard is full of them, but they don't stay in one place very long, either. Congrats on a nice capture. Cheers.

I tried manual focus for birds a couple of times, Barry and I can genuinely say most of the shots really sucked. If you are pre-focused on a certain area, there's a better chance of capturing the shot, but otherwise, forget it! I almost exclusively use auto-focus on birds and focus on the eye. Cardinals are VERY easy where I live - I have hundreds of shots and don't even bother any more. Sad, isn't it?! As for the titmouse, I have maybe 10 really good ones and that's it.

The bird shot is great, no question. Maybe crop some of the negative space at the top and use a landscape orientation instead of portrait. Just a suggestion.

See what you think...

A bird's life..... just hanging around on a stump. Wonderful capture, perfect DOF & detail. Also nice light!

What's interesting is that the food attracting the birds on this stump was mostly dry cat food!!

How funny :)! Figures!

Kim, JMO, but your original is much, MUCH better than the crop. Leave as is. Cheers.

Thanks, Barry - I have to agree with you. I like the space around the bird because this IS a small bird and I think the vertical crop enhances that idea. But it's fun to show different versions and get different opinions - it's what makes the world go round.

 

Jayme, you would get a kick out of the woodpeckers, greenjays and kiskadees with cat food in their mouths!

Kim, nice title, great photo, perfect timing, great focus..you are outstanding with birds,animals etc.

Thanks, Rajeev!

I like this one! The bird looks so cool... Beautiful image.

Thanks, Armindo - these are interesting little birds and oh so quick!

Kim, I like both the original and the cropped version. I think the background could do to have some suggestion of what is behind as it looks the colours look a little like one of these studio backdrops. The detail of te log and the bird are very good indeed.

Colin, I have some plans for the next shoot at the stump. I'm going to place a branch close by for the birds to land on. That may give more interest. A photographer friend DOES use cloth backdrops - he has an elaborate set-up for shooting hummingbirds. I'm afraid I'm too lazy!

Another good one, Kim. I like the dead space above. What a collection you have!