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What Are You Lookin' At?


What Are You Lookin' At?
Photo Information
Copyright: Nigel Deacon (Merlin) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 445 W: 267 N: 455] (1713)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2012-02-05
Categories: Birds
Camera: Nikon D300
Exposure: f/8, 1/160 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes (Fill) Flash: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2012-04-11 8:44
Viewed: 2800
Points: 40
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
A male Greenfinch Carduelis chloris waiting to come in to the bird feeder.

With their heavy and powerful bills, Greenfinches often bully smaller birds at the feeding station. I once needed to rescue one that had popped the lid off the peanut feeder, squeezed down the wire tube to get at the peanuts and could not get out. He wasn't grateful for being rescued, and I can testify that a Greenfinch's peck hurts! Over the last few years their numbers in the UK have fallen and many birds were found sick or dying, infected with a protozoan parasite (Trichomonas sp.) that can be spread in drinking water, bird baths or feeders. However, numbers on my "patch" have been increasing again recently, and I am happy to have a pair breeding in the garden once again in 2012.

In choosing an image to post this time, I thought this bird's expression was priceless. Although birds do not really have a wide range of facial expressions, this one seems to be working a "tough bird" attitude.

I have chosen the centred composition to best convey the bird's "staring out of the frame" posture.

300 mm f/2.8 lens with 2x converter again, tripod mounted and fill flash to counter the back-lighting.
joska, marius-secan, drchoneydew, goatman04, buscape, Alex99, Pitoncle, Emi_1987, Jakkals, bungbing, Adanac, ramthakur has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Nigel,
Very nice colors and fine details on this photo of a male Greenfinch, TFS!

What Are You Lookin' At? ..the white balance of course which is rather great ...and those brilliant tiny feathers clearly visible from top to bottom! What a simple perfection Nigel Deacon! Can I have a copy of your book please?
Regards,
George Veltchev

Hi Nigel,
great picture with optimum sharpness and colour of this Greenfinch.
tfs
Samiran

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121] (49139)
  • [2012-04-11 9:34]

Hello Nigel,
Excellent sharp detailed photo of this Greenfinch. Very nice pose with this frontal POV. Beautiful natural colours. Great DOF.
Regards,
Peter

Hello Nigel,

A nice pose with Dreamy looking DOF. Rest of the things are just perfect - won't venture into them.

TFS,
Subhayan.

Hello Nigel,
Wonderful composition with excellent clarity and fine details. It is a interesting image taken from a very good POV. Very nice species of birds difficult to shoot because they are very shy at least in my country....
Thanks for sharing!
Marius.

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3097 W: 109 N: 12399] (52850)
  • [2012-04-11 10:44]

Hello Nigel.
Good sharp detail and good POV. Nicely exposed and superb colours. Good composition and excellent note.
Well captured, thanks for posting.Best regards Siggi

Ciao Nigel, great capture of lovely bird in nice pose on a beautiful lighting BG, fine details, splendid sharpness and wonderful natural colors, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

AWWWWWWWWWWWWW what a beauty!!!!!!! my favorite today!!!!!!

Hello Nigel,

A great capture with fine natural coloration, sharpness & pose. Well done & TFS.

Best wishes

Umar

Hello Nigel,
a wonderful capture of this Greefinch with good sharpness and a fantastic eye contact. I also like the beautiful colours and the nicely blurred background.
Best wishes,
Helmut

Beautiful photo Nigel! Very good composition and wonderful colours. The sharpness is impressive!
Regards,
Christodoulos

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4072 W: 133 N: 7096] (23735)
  • [2012-04-12 8:48]

Hi Nigel.
The scene is charming and quality of the image is superb. I like refined use of fill flash, attractive pose of the bird and impressive eye-contact, excellent sharpness of the main subject and perfect lens work (bokeh). Great job.
Alexei.

  • Great 
  • pirate Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 799 W: 152 N: 1186] (7474)
  • [2012-04-12 13:05]

Hi Nigel
Simple but very attractive, the bg matches perfectly well
Tfs
Tom

Bonjour Nigel,
Très belles attitude et expression du sujet saisies à l'instant décisif dans une belle lumière et sous une excellente profondeur de champ.
A bientôt sur TN pour de nouvelles aventures.
Gérard

Hello Nigel
The title suits the image. Very strong details in this image I like the soft light and colors. Well done!
Regards Hedesan

Hi Nigel,
A Beautiful capture with excellent plumage detail and eye contact. The colours are fantastic. Good light balance, DOF and POV.
Best regards,
Carl

Hello Nigel,
A very nice captured of this cute little bird, beautiful colours, excellent details sharpness and fantastic eye contact, a lovely picture,
Thanks for sharing and have a nice day,
Best Regards,
Bungbing.

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1273 W: 1 N: 6188] (21378)
  • [2012-09-14 7:43]

Hello Nigel,
Incredible photography with a special pose. Great work Nigel, thank you.
Rick

Nigel, I have to go to this wonderful picture you posted some moths ago and it is pleasure to admire it.
The facial 'expression' of this Greenfinch is quite eloquent. It seems to be assessing the situation with a critical eye.
Regards.

*****

Hello Mr.Nigel,
Thank you very much for your valuable comment.Yes,may be you are right.I am also not sure.I have to see it later.
Thanks a lot.

Excellent one.Nice details and natural colour of this bird.Very good quality.
Thanks for sharing,
Kind regards,
Srikumar

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