Bird picture asking for critique

[JJphoto]

today I went out shoot and got very lucky to get really close to this
bird, pictures here are the original one and the cropped one,I used 7D
and 300mm2.8 IS with 1.4CT, 1/1600, f4.0,ISO400,I'v noticed that the
backround is too bright. any commend are welcome, thanks!


/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.28.54/A.JPG


/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.28.54/IMG_5F00_2418.JPG

[Oren]

Looks very sharp, but also looks like you sharpened it too much in post - am I right?


Looks like a bit underexposed as well, try to give it +1 stop.


Also (assuming you shoot RAW), try to play with the WB and warm it a bit since right now it looks too cold - thus boring to me.


All in all, very well done technically - you certainly got something there, you just need to play with it a bit more.

[Oren]

Update: My bad...


+1 stop is too much, try something around +0.5 stop.


Also, try to cool down the WB and not warm it up.

[Oren]

If you don't mind, I played with it a bit, here what I got (I'm sure you can do much better):


http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3nu5cxOgw5k/S1GUqhFRapI/AAAAAAAAA64/Q4wjJ7P6Guk/IMG_5F00_2418_edit2.jpg

[JJphoto]

thank you Oren for the comments.


exposure is always the problem to me, especially when shooting birds, most of the time the background is brighter sky so the little birds tend to get underexposed. I'v been thinking use flash but don't know if it will scare away of the birds.


about sharpening, Nate has a really good post about it today, but since I havn't used photoshop yet, I only do minor adjustment in iphoto, it seems like it's time to get into it.



If you don't mind, I played with it a bit, here what I got (I'm sure you can do much better):


of course not, i definitely see the difference in your picture, thanks for the time! I really appreciate it!

[Fast Glass]

I have used flashes succesfully, but they can scare the birds away asyousaid. Here is a shot that I shot in VERY CRUMMY light, the flash overpowered the ambient light.


/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.28.86/0196-_2300_-reduced.JPG


John.

[JJphoto]

John, thanks for the reply!


the picture looks a bit overpowered, but it really opens up birds face especially the area around bird's eye. so it's worth to try with the flash.


BTW, your pictures of birds in "post you best nature pictures" really impressed me---very sharp!

[Fast Glass]

What I ment by overpowering the ambient light with the flash was that the flash gave a single light source and a even white balance.


Thanks foryour comment about my bird shots.


John.

[JJphoto]

I see now John.


the bird exposed perfectly, just the branch seems a little evidence of flash, that's what i meant, but i forgot that was in crummy light. I think I was thinking fill in flash too much, sorry John.

[Fast Glass]

Thats OK, thats how we learn.[:)]


John.