Carolina Wren - 2 shots

[VFTT]

Which do you prefer and why?

The static shot:

http://www.viewsfromthetop.com/potn/0917-carolina-wren-800.jpg

or the "action jackson" shot:

http://www.viewsfromthetop.com/potn/0921-wren-call-800.jpg

I think I like the static shot just because it is a little sharper. I wish I had a little faster shutter speed on the open beak shot. Oh well.

The white blurs in the background are snow on the pine trees. I wish they were not near the birds head, but I could not change my position. Are they that much of a distraction?

Both shots are:
Canon 20D
Canon 100-400mm IS L
ISO 800, f10, 1/160, 370mm

- d

[iterrier]

I prefer the first shot, although they are both really really good. Don't worry about the white blurs. You're nitpicking.

[Sindri Skulason]

Wow...fantastic captures. The first one is my favorite. Super sharp with beautiful bokeh. Excellent work! :-)

[ZipDude66]

Very pretty bird and pictures! Prefer the first, the blurred tongue distract from the bird in #2. A little different angle and you could have hid the suet.:)

Zip

[Reyno]

Beautiful images...nicely posed and well exposed. Very well done d.

[DonE]

Very sharp pics. Nice job. Wow, 800 ISO and little noise. NICE!!

[VFTT]

A little different angle and you could have hid the suet.:)

Zip

Yah, I know. it's a bummer but I couldn't changle my angle at all. I'm goign to try to set it up better next time.

Thanks for all the feedback so far. Looks like the static shot is the winner of these two. If I had a little faster shutter speed and a little better angle, I could have had a real keeper with the second one.

Thanks

- d

[Anthony J Howe]

Difficult to judge between the two as they are both good, but the first has to the best for complete clarity as the tongue is recognisable being blurred. Well done.

[dancinec]

Ok course I prefer the sharper shot. Both are great captures. I love the colors you have captured. The first shot is perfect.You didn't need to shoot at f10, that lens is fairly sharp at f8 and f5.6 would be out of too much because the bird's body is all in the same plane.

[VFTT]

You didn't need to shoot at f10, that lens is fairly sharp at f8 and f5.6 would be out of too much because the bird's body is all in the same plane.

That is a full frame shot. The bird is only about 10' away. At that distance, f8 does not provide enough DOF and parts of the bird will be out of focus. Even at f10 in these shots, you can see how the back of the stump is clearly out of focus. The DOF is only a few inches. I have to shoot at f10 to get the whole bird in focus, so I'm stuck at ISO 800 and in that light 1/160 sec.

I guess I could put more distance between the bird and the camera so f8 would get the whole bird in focus, but then I would have to crop the shot and noise would be a problem. Always a tradeoff...

- d