Backyard Birds - C&C Welcomed!

[Andy Stringer]

Denise,

The birds on the branches are all excellent. You've got the exposure, composition, subject posture and focus just right for my tastes. They really belong in the 'post your best birds' thread. I wish we had the same variety over here. I'm lucky if I see that many species in my garden in a typical year.

I think the shots of the birds on the fence suffer from unnatural backgrounds, but you've got good bokeh so it isn't too much of a distraction.

I think the first and last shots have too much foreground, which lacks anything of interest. For birds on the ground, I try to minimise the foreground as much as possible. I find this gives a more pleasing composition. The first shot has some harsh shadows, but I'm sure you are an excellent judge of shadows, so I should not say much more about that.

I hope you get some good conditions for the cranes, can't wait to see the results.