Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)

Place: Bosque del Apache, New Mexico
Date: December 3, 2015, 8:19 am
Equipment: Nikon D7200, Nikkor AF-S 300/2.8 & TC20E III (2x), bean bag from car
Exposure: ISO 800, Aperture priority spot metered, 1/1250th @ f5.6
Raw, PS CC 2015 on Mac, 60% of frame

I hadn’t been able to visit Bosque del Apache since 2006, so this solo trip was a real treat for me. As on other visits I mostly ignored the crane pools in favor of maximizing my time creeping along the loop road looking for “targets of opportunity.” This Ruby-crowned Kinglet was my first opportunity of the first day. This was also my first field trip with the D7200, and the first time I got to use a decent bean bag for lens support from the car window (instead of the monopod that worked so well with my previous car).

Finally, this is the first batch of raw files I’ve processed in Photoshop CC, a necessary upgrade from PS CS3 that I’ve been using for years.

Honest critiques requested; all comments appreciated. Please see the larger version for critical analysis.