Song Sparrow

Gallery: AvianPosted April 15, 2010107 views15 comments

Finally it's warm and the birds are out singing again. I had this cooperative song sparrow pose for several shots. I liked this one in the cattails with the early sunrise lighting. I did use fill flash to lessen shadows. I also applied a little vignette to focus more on the bird.

Canon 1D Mk3
Canon 600mm f/4 with 1.4x TC
ISO 500, 1/125 @ f/8, -1 Flash Comp w/Better Beamer
Av Mode +1/3, Eval Meter
LR2

Comments

15 comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on April 16, 2010 at 12:05 AM

Very nice shot all the way around for my tastes Bryan! The only thing I might do (and this is really more of a personal preference) is add a little warmth back to the shot to make up for the flash.

Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments

Comment posted by Monica Siri on April 16, 2010 at 10:35 AM

Bryan,
I really like the pose of this cute guy, the detail and the comp.

Registered on September 20, 2009, 132 Posts, 3764 Comments

Comment posted by Robert Bunch on April 16, 2010 at 1:13 PM

I didn't used to pay much attention to most sparrows because I thought of them as just another drab little brown bird but when I started taking pictures of them I began to realize that they are very beautiful birds in their own right. This shot is an excellent example of that. You did a great job of capturing all the colors from black to gray and all the tones of brown and all the great detail in this guys plumage to show what an attractive bird he (or she) is. The environment and BG complement his coloration very nicely and I like the crop and comp. Very well done.

Registered on May 18, 2004, 124 Posts, 2503 Comments

Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on April 16, 2010 at 2:14 PM

Very good capture, perch and techs. This is one of the best Song Sparrow shots I've seen posted in a while. I like Kurt's suggestion of warming it up just a bit to make up for the fill flash.

Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments

Comment posted by Jeff Loomis on April 16, 2010 at 5:22 PM

Such a common species, they are easily overlooked. This is a great shot and I really like the habitat. Very nice indeed.

Registered on January 26, 2010, 68 Posts, 719 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on April 16, 2010 at 5:44 PM

A charming image with a strong composition. I always like these understated monochrome images.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on April 16, 2010 at 10:36 PM

very nice pose and composition, Bryan. I'd like to see it after the warming up suggestion, but this looks very nice as is.

Registered on March 21, 2009, 202 Posts, 4187 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on April 17, 2010 at 12:48 AM

Cute pose Bryan. I like the harmonious color scheme.

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on April 17, 2010 at 12:55 AM

I do too Bryan - rushes make great perches and I like the slightly down-turned head

cheers
Rob

Registered on November 8, 2003, 617 Posts, 8267 Comments

Comment posted by Bryan Hix on April 17, 2010 at 8:21 AM

Thanks everyone for the critiques. Here is the photo with the temp warmed up a bit. Hopefully this counterbalanced the cool flash.

Registered on June 13, 2008, 117 Posts, 755 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Lotito on April 17, 2010 at 9:09 AM

Beautiful detail and composition!

Registered on June 26, 2009, 181 Posts, 1558 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on April 17, 2010 at 2:47 PM

I like the feeling of this image Bryan and the colors. Nice pose by the bird, good exposure, and nice sharpness. Cool shot with nice habitat.