C&C please

[M.Powell]

 

[Ady]

Pics of birds almost always look better without the background clutter of foliage and are usually best left in colour to enhance the bird's plummage. However, your subject is quite well focused (head) and is sort of framed within a hole in the leaves and lit well. The bird in this pic is probably not the most 'photogenic' of birds either but big colourful varieties sat waiting to be snapped on a foliage free branch are hard to come by!

 

[bazooka]

While the on camera flash was probably necessary for getting the exposure right on this shot, it's best to use an off camera light or flash. Notice the reflection of the flash in the birds eye and the strong shadow of the branch across the bird and other branch. Besides that though, I kinda like it, fwiw.

 

[M.Powell]

Funny, I hadn't noticed the shadow from the flash...lol Funny what we see and don't see!

I like this one in monochrome rather than color. It lacked in all the color shots I did. Out of all that I made of this bird as it left the nest, this was my favorite. It was a baby bird, so still hadn't developed the red color to it's wings that the adults have... was just browns and whites :/ But I liked it in monochrome.

Thanks for the advice on the flash. I don't have an external flash yet... have to buy things as I can.

 

[cfphoto]

I like this one a lot. Great look in B&W...love the high contrast as well. Maybe some vignetting in post would help w/ some of the foreground foliage?

 

[M.Powell]

"vignetting"? I've heard the term (still relatively new to post extras), but still haven't gotten there yet. Could you give an example? thanks