The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Much to my surprise I found a pair of chickadees who seem to be cleaning sawdust out of this new hole that I think was made by a neighborhood northern flicker. This is a high-traffic area of cars and pedestrians and about 20 feet from the ground. The pair was extremely industrious and took turns flying in and out.
Once again I love the moment I have captured but there is some softness in the photo. I was shooting handheld and my arm was getting tired. I was actually hoping to capture the bird in flight leaving the hole, but there was no room for a tripod as I was standing in a busy alley. I don’t think it is sharp enough to have a close up of the bird so have only cropped the original about 50%.
Specific Feedback
Any and all feedback. In particular, the crop and lighting of the bird and hole. (I am able to do basic enhancements in LR.)
Technical Details
Canon R5 and RF 100 to 500 @500 mm
1/2000 f8 and ISO 3200
I love the tree with all that nice fungus on it. The light looks a bit harsh, particularly on the cheek of the Chickadee, Robena. You might be able to do something using the local adjustment tool (I usually use the brush set to a suitable size and about 50% feather) I’d try first just reducing highlights on the cheek and maybe lowering the exposure a bit. Chickadee cheeks are a real pain-they blow out very easily. I like the composition.
May I suggest a monopod? With modern image stabilization they’re adequate in most situations and take a lot of stress off your arms without the bulk and footprint of a tripod.
A wonderful opportunity! The contrast is high from the light. Have you done all you can with the Shadows and Highlights sliders in LR? Watch the histogram and keep the blacks and whites from clipping. If the image looks flat, a tiny push with Clarity can help. A little move with the Texture slider can give some pseudo-sharpening.
The tree is very interesting. I’d consider some further crop from the left to remove some of the jumble of branches there. For a sharp capture, that camera and lens will permit a crop to 10% of the original image, for posting here!
That lens can get heavy. I second @Dennis_Plank on the monopod. There was some discussion here a while back about recommendations and I don’t have time to try to find it. It may have been from @Kris_Smith?? Wherever the information came from, I got a Robus carbon fiber monopod and the Wimberley Mono-gimbal head and really like it, although I haven’t had many opportunities to use it. I’ll go for a tripod whenever possible.
The tree looks like it was sharp, but it looks like you may have pushed too hard on sharpening or NR. If the bird moved a little that could cause blur at 500mm and 1/2000 sec. Birds twitch and move very fast. It would have been marginal for catching this little guy shooting out of the hole in flight. Even on a tripod, I shoot a short burst when possible and often one frame is sharper.
Yeah, that was me, @Diane_Miller - and through two amazing Secret Santas here on NPN, I have a Benro GH2 gimbal head and an Oben carbon fiber monopod, both of which will be getting an outing soon. There are some great ponds and other places for birds just south of here that can have decent birds etc. I like it, but had some issues with non-sharpness at times versus handholding. Granted, my rig isn’t nearly as big as some of yours, but a heavy lens does get tiring after a while.
I have nothing technical to add to what’s already been said. My first impression was that I liked the shot; it tells a good story and the tree is interesting. Hopefully they will take up residence and you’ll have opportunities for more images of them (and their chicks!). You might try different angles as I think it would be preferable to remove some of the small branches on the left.
Yes, we all hope you have more opportunities to share! And @Kris_Smith, do keep us posted on the monopod adventures. I need to get to a location to try mine. Most of my chances are set up as stably as possible and wait and hope. I haven’t done well with the hoping part.
It’s completely un-appropos to Robena’s situation, but what competes with a monopod for me is the small RRS tripod – the same one @Kris_Smith has – with a lightweight head. A while back I went on a bird walk with a local Audobon group, and, as expected, the nearest bird was about 1/4 mile away. But on the long walks between distant birds I discovered a great way to carry that tripod, ready for instant setup: legs lengthened and splayed out, one over each shoulder, head behind my head, and the third leg above my head. Steadied with one hand. If I spotted anything it was an instant plunk-down, pull the camera off the Spider holster on a waist belt and plop it on the quick-release head. Maybe 10 seconds. Always thought than in a pinch I could close the legs and use it as a monopod, but not sure I’ve actually tried it.
I am very grateful to you @Dennis_Plank@Diane_Miller@Kris_Smith@Allen_Brooks for your thoughtful input. Gives me lots to work on which is what I wanted! And after hearing about 8 inches of snow in April I will stop complaining about my slow spring!
