C&C on the PP please

Have posted this Song Sparrow in the birds section already, but I would like critics on the PP specifically.
As explained in the first posting, because the background was cluttered and that clutter the same tone as the bird, I decided to add some vignetting, and to desaturate and slightly underexpose the BG branches, so that the bird would better pop from the BG.

All the PP in LR2, including noise removing and sharpening, before exporting in JPEG.

Shot was with a 5D MKII + BIGMO, manual exposure, 1/250s, f.8, ISO 1600, 500 mm, partial meter.

Thanks in advance.

Gerard

With a background that busy you did a nice job of bringing the subject out. The only improvement might be to crop more of the background out.

I like the look of it... but I'm just an enthusiast... no-where near a lot of the members here... is there a way to make the background blur naturally looking? like electronically making it f/1.2?

District_History_Fan wrote in post #9325087
With a background that busy you did a nice job of bringing the subject out. The only improvement might be to crop more of the background out.

I wanted to leave the bird with some breathing room on the right side, toward where he is looking?

Thanks for the comment.

va_rider wrote in post #9325107
I like the look of it... but I'm just an enthusiast... no-where near a lot of the members here... is there a way to make the background blur naturally looking? like electronically making it f/1.2?

I tried to blur the BG in LR2, with the adjustment brush, but the result looked weird and not natural, particularly in the full screen pic - this one is of course reduced to 1024 pixels in the long side.

Thanks for the suggestion.

District_History_Fan wrote in post #9325087
With a background that busy you did a nice job of bringing the subject out. The only improvement might be to crop more of the background out.

I gave it a try - critics still welcome, and thanks for looking:

I like the cropped version very much!. Excellent PP job (of what must have been an excellent original to begin with )

When I first attempted bird shots, I ended up using fuji 1600 with grain as big as golf balls. How technology has improved. Whilst I am no bird expert, the sparrow's natural habitat is in bushes and hedgerows. Therefore, I feel that it is important that the shot reflects this and would say that the original crop score's higher on this point. Good capture and if hand held extra kudos.

vk2gwk wrote in post #9332252
I like the cropped version very much!. Excellent PP job (of what must have been an excellent original to begin with )

Thank you - I feel I am reaching the limit of the cropping here, as the BG starts to look weird in some places.

corkneyfonz wrote in post #9332737
When I first attempted bird shots, I ended up using fuji 1600 with grain as big as golf balls. How technology has improved. Whilst I am no bird expert, the sparrow's natural habitat is in bushes and hedgerows. Therefore, I feel that it is important that the shot reflects this and would say that the original crop score's higher on this point. Good capture and if hand held extra kudos.

This one was taken at ISO 1600 with a 5D MKII and Sigma 150-500, 1/250 at f/8.0 (crappy overcast winter day). I used a monopod.

I believe I also prefer the original crop, for the same reason you state.

Thanks for the comment.

the bird looks like it's going to fly out at me. cool photograph . i prefer the original as well.