Female pileated woodpecker

Critiques please. Be brutal.
Summary of stuff: makeshift blind, tripod, cable release, 400 ISO, 100-400 L at 400, much closer and much less crop, shot and edited in RAW using Photoshop elements 11. What else will help improve these?

IMAGE LINK: https://www.flickr.com …94438230@N07/14​015317070/

IMAGE LINK: https://www.flickr.com …94438230@N07/14​198681121/

IMAGE LINK: https://www.flickr.com …94438230@N07/14​222097543/

Looking lots better Barry!
I think you've made all the right moves so far and here's what I see. The 1st and 3rd images are the best because there was actual sunshine. Unfortunately, it's side light/back light orientation reduces desirable details on "your" side of the bird. It's always harder than we'd like to pull detail out of shadow/shade. The 2nd image looks like it was taken in overcast or shade and has less detail than either #1 or #3. I also noticed some vignetting in the 2nd and 3rd images, but not the 1st. Did you notice that?
I think you'll notice a big difference if you can shift the time of day you're there to get better light on the photographer side of this beauty, or simply ask her to hop out into the light for you
And within reason, closer is always better. I envy your chase my friend.

Dear grizzerbear,

I finally got what I thought was a decent shot of a pileated woodpecker in my backyard this evening and now I see these!

I'm going to keep after them though and one day I'll get good light and cooperative subjects. Maybe it's just me but I find them to be very fidgety subjects. Even when they are sitting still they seem to be moving!

Nice work!

Regards,

Tim Murphy

You did very well. Is there a time of day when the sun is lighting that area a little better? If not a flash and better beamer should help.

Taking her photograph reminds me of being in the military . . . two hours of boredom followed by thirty seconds of heart pounding excitement.

CamFan01 wrote in post #16909755
Looking lots better Barry!
I think you've made all the right moves so far and here's what I see. The 1st and 3rd images are the best because there was actual sunshine. Unfortunately, it's side light/back light orientation reduces desirable details on "your" side of the bird. It's always harder than we'd like to pull detail out of shadow/shade. The 2nd image looks like it was taken in overcast or shade and has less detail than either #1 or #3. I also noticed some vignetting in the 2nd and 3rd images, but not the 1st. Did you notice that?
I think you'll notice a big difference if you can shift the time of day you're there to get better light on the photographer side of this beauty, or simply ask her to hop out into the light for you
And within reason, closer is always better. I envy your chase my friend.

Steve, I ponder and digest your thoughtful comments. Slowly perhaps, but they still sink in. I cannot thank you enough. I'm embarressed to say that this evening I found myself begging her to move into better light. She wasn't impressed.

jtmiv wrote in post #16909815
Dear grizzerbear,

I finally got what I thought was a decent shot of a pileated woodpecker in my backyard this evening and now I see these!

I'm going to keep after them though and one day I'll get good light and cooperative subjects. Maybe it's just me but I find them to be very fidgety subjects. Even when they are sitting still they seem to be moving!

Nice work!

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Thank you for the kind comments, Tim. You are WAY too modest however . . . you just posted one very fine capture of this lady's cousin! Nice!

butterfly2937 wrote in post #16909832
You did very well. Is there a time of day when the sun is lighting that area a little better? If not a flash and better beamer should help.

Thank you so much, butterfly. The doorway to her nest faces north and I've been trying for evening shots due to the terrain/branches/trees​. I'm going to try some morning shots and see how it goes. Thanks for your thoughts!

Classic look, I love it. Great shots.

Peter2516 wrote in post #16910171
Classic look, I love it. Great shots.

Thank you very much Peter

Nice set Barry. I like your second image best. That being said, I would have cropped it as below. Also, given the lighting I would have used spot metering and focused on her eye.

IMAGE LINK: http://s60.photobucket​.com …/pll_zps4bbcb98​3.jpg.html

IMAGE LINK: http://s60.photobucket​.com …illa_zpsae2d4bb​7.jpg.html

Airedale1 wrote in post #16911123
Nice set Barry. I like your second image best. That being said, I would have cropped it as below. Also, given the lighting I would have used spot metering and focused on her eye.

IMAGE LINK: http://s60.photobucket​.com …/pll_zps4bbcb98​3.jpg.html

This has long been a nemesis bird for me. The second image is my best result to date. Here they are very skittish, so very hard to get close to.
Mine was taken with 7D and EF 400 f5.6L in Av Mode ISO 400 1/250 sec.

IMAGE LINK: http://s60.photobucket​.com …illa_zpsae2d4bb​7.jpg.html

Paul, I appreciate your comments and really like how you recropped my picture.
Thanks.
Your capture is simply stunning. Wow. If I could get one like that, I'd hang up my camera and call it done. Thanks for sharing and for the inspiration.