Tough Lighting, Tough Subjects

[BradM]

Spent my day looking for owls but was SOL, but I did find one of my favorite subjects, the Ruby Crowned Kinglet. Love these tiny little go getters, but usually are well stuffed into the shrubs or high in the trees. This guy was stuffed in the shrubs but with the light beaming in on him in places amd I just missed his crown fully erect which is a shot that still eludes me.

And then the Pileated has been a real challenge to not only just find one to shoot but one that I wasn't looking up the tail feathers to see what was last nights dinner remains looked like. Today got a halfway decent shot of one, the lighting was such to prevent getting all the detail I wanted but the pov was about perfect IMO.

What do you think?

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y259/Bradklr/kingletborst.jpg


http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y259/Bradklr/pileated.jpg

[blonde]

i think that you did a fine job on these 2. i know how hard it is to get a good shot under these conditions but you did great. the first one is adorable!!!

[hTr]

Great Set, Love the Pileated!!!

[HWP]

Thanks for sharing these Brad. Like i said... I alway's enjoy seeing your photo's. Very sharp with nice detail and colors.

Henry

[BradM]

Thanks guys, I know neither is some of my best work but you take what they give you. The kinglet in particular bugs me a bit, on my screen it is looking oversharpened. But didn't even run a pass of sharpening after resizing because I didn't think I could get it to work w/o haloing. Maybe it was the use of USM at 20/30/0 to boost contrast instead of using curves that brings that look to it. I don't know :confused:

[ajosteve]

Brad, these are very nice shots...the kinglets are hard to get, you did good on this one. I saw a couple of pileated once in the woods up in Washington on a log. I was only 25 feet away and facinated by them...didn't have a camera then, but always remembered how cool they were. Love the pecker shot...steve

[EdV]

Excellent images, Brad. Great detail on the Kinglet. I was shooting some Golden-crowned Kinglets yesterday. I may get them posted this evening.

In all our wanderings in the woods, we have yet to even see a Piliated. We've heard them but never seen one. :(

[BradM]

Thanks guys. Ed I had a couple shots of Golden Crowned as well yesterday but they were only the top of the head shots as they hung sideways & upside down under the branches. Lil buggers.

Steve, like I said I have special place for kinglets probably because a shot of one was my first published wildlife image and then just last month I had an image of one make the cut for calendar contest sponsored by Ridgefield Nat'l Widlife Refuge. Not sure if I have posted that image before but if so I apologize if not here it is. Because it needed a title I called it "Tough guy" (I really don't like titles on wildlife images fwiw)

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y259/Bradklr/kingletAsmall.jpg

[canonloader]

Beautiful shots Brad. I really like the tough guy, no wonder he got published. :)

[snowyowl13]

Great shots.

[kolok]

HA! tough guy photo - he really looks peeved in that one! LOL! Who knew a sweety-tweety could cut you down at the knees with a stare like that!

That pileated woodpecker looks BIG - like a slim duck hanging off the side of a tree! Are these birds really large or is the size artificially increased due to cropping etc?

Nice photos you have there. Never seen a kinglet although I'd hope to someday.

[canonloader]

Are these birds really large or is the size artificially increased
They are as big as a Crow. :)

[ajosteve]

Brad, love the tough guy shot...what a focused stare, makes him look mean, although I know he's not....very fine shot...steve

[BradM]

HA! tough guy photo - he really looks peeved in that one! LOL! Who knew a sweety-tweety could cut you down at the knees with a stare like that!

That pileated woodpecker looks BIG - like a slim duck hanging off the side of a tree! Are these birds really large or is the size artificially increased due to cropping etc?

Nice photos you have there. Never seen a kinglet although I'd hope to someday.

Like Mitch said they are big birds but I would say bigger than a crow more along raven size but anyway one of the largest birds one is apt to see in timbered areas. Mkaes me realize I captured one of the largest and one of the smallest the same day, I think Hummers are the only smaller than the kinglets. And for what it is worth neither shot is much of a crop maybe lost 10-15% from the lil guy and even less from woody.

[EdwardF]

Time well spent when you get these kinds of results, Brad. Very nice !

[village idiot]

Great pileated shot!

[Sindri Skulason]

Excellent shots with the first one scoring very high on the cuteness scale. :-)

[IraRunyan]

Good looking Pileated Woodpecker. Hopeing to get a shot of one myself soon.

[plsurfer]

very nicely done!!! the woodpecker is awesome!

[BradM]

Thanks guys!