My antidote for yesterday’s unattractive (as in ugly) perches.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
All four photos I posted yesterday had birds on less than attractive perches (to make my point, but still…) so today I decided to go with the other extreme by posting a bird on a perch with oodles of visual appeal.
Near the end of May of 2018 I photographed this Green-tailed Towhee playing hide and seek with me on a flowering Serviceberry branch in a Wasatch Mountain valley. ‘He’ wasn’t particularly close so he’s fairly small in the frame but there are plenty of attractive elements in the photo to mostly fill the frame and I think the colorful (for a sparrow) bird tops the image off nicely.
He’s partially hidden but if I’m going to have obstructions in front of part of the bird they could be worse than attractive leaves and pretty flowers.
Here’s a vertical composition of the same image. Personally I prefer it and perhaps you will too.
One of the reasons I included this second composition is the sharpness of the flowering branch all the way to the upper left corner of the frame. With my extremely shallow depth of field at this focal length (effectively 1120 mm) it’s a treat for me to get this much of an attractive perch, or any perch, sharp.
This photo I posted yesterday illustrates my point. Just look how quickly sharpness begins to fall off on the wire in front of and behind the hawk. Both photos were taken at the same aperture (6.3) and I was much closer to the towhee than I was to the hawk so I’d have even less depth of field on the towhee’s perch than I do on this wire. I added this photo after the post was published.
I’ve been wanting to get back to this area for months to check it out for winter birds but with the sun so low in the sky in winter the valley stays in shade for much of the day so it’s been a while.
But tomorrow’s March 1. It won’t be long now.
Ron.
I love that second shot. The way the eye is teased up the line is really nice. Art!
Ah! The first two are so lovely in their show of Spring. I’m singing here! Almost fools me into thinking it IS Spring outside. Thanks, Ron.
“Almost fools me into thinking it IS Spring outside”
If only. Thanks, Nina.
I actually like the vertical framing, I like the way the stem and flowers turn back into the photo framing the bird more.
How’s the computer situation going?
April, I’m feeling a little more optimistic about the computer. I had a whole lot of programs automatically loading into my RAM that didn’t need to. When that was fixed it started booting faster and running more efficiently. Hope it lasts…
I know Mia is great with computers but if you need help give Eric a call. He is very helpful.
Thanks for the suggestion. As you guessed it was Mia who found and fixed this aggravating hiccup.
I am such a fan of Green-tailed Towhees, and I’d take either one of these photos, though I’m with the majority here on the vertical crop. That beautifully flowered branch and complementary background really make GTT “pop” for me. And wonder of wonders, one of these special sparrows appeared in my yard again just yesterday! They’re “rare” in this area, so it’s very pleasing to think my yard holds some appeal for them.
Congrats on another sighting, Chris. I never see them this early in the year.
I was sure the vertical crop was “better” but Marty K’s
comment made me switch to the horizontal side.
Speaking off sides, I’m calling the Green-tailed Towhee Luke and the Rough-legged Hawk Darth. I felt a disturbance in the force scrolling from one to the other.
Marty can be persuasive, can’t she Lyle.
It is already March here, not by much, but it is.
This bird is a charmer as is its perch. And I am with you, the vertical crop for me this time.
Thank you.
Well then, happy March already, EC. And thanks.
You’re shaking my assumptions about myself this morning, Ron. I like the wide crop better than the vertical one. (I know, right? I had to look in the mirror to make sure it was really me. 😂 ) I think that what does it is the little “v” where the two branches connect and seeing the vertical branch — both aspects provide a nice frame for the bird that pushes my eye up toward those lovely green wings and his rusty pate.
Marty, usually when I crop vertically the bird is larger in the frame than it is when I crop horizontally. But this time they’re exactly the same size in both versions. Maybe that’s why you didn’t prefer the vertical?. Or another reason why.
This one’s a keeper, Ron! And I love the green background- really complements both the Towhee and the Serviceberry. Nicely done!
Thanks, Diane. It’ll sure be nice to see more green again around here, if it ever happens with as little moisture as we’ve had this winter.
Beautiful – vertical or horizontal……😀 SO many things enter into what is sharp and what isn’t… Excellent lesson on one of those factors, Ron. I always learn “something” from your posts besides “pretty pictures”…😍
Thanks, Judy. I especially appreciate your last sentence.
With the breadth and the quality of your photographic offerings, it’s hard
to have clear preferences–but I have to say that #1 of today is one of my
all-time favorites—the combination of colors, the sweeping composition,
and the reminder of spring-to-come–it’s like visual music. Thanks !
“Visual music”, I like that. Thanks very much, Kris.
Very pretty perch for sure. You will brighten up this morning for all those who have a bleak one today. I like the vertical one best maybe because the blossoms are so sharp all the way to the top. Both the branch and the Towhee really stand out well against that background. Excellent photos.
Here in Prescott we show the Green-tailed Towhee as being an “accidental” find during transit with only 5 or less sightings per year. I have never seen one, but would sure like to.
Everett, around here I usually find them in shrubby habitats at mid-elevations. Hope you get to see some of them eventually.
I’m mostly with you on yesterday’s ugly perches (ESPECIALLY the barbed wire–HATE that stuff), but like everybody says, if it’s good enough for the bird, it’s good enough for me. After all, the bird is the star!
But that said, this perch is gorgeous!! As is the little Towhee. Oddly, I never really considered them as sparrows, but you’re right…as usual 😉 And what a lovely little sparrow he is!
And I might be the first commenter today! YIPPEE! I’m so easily amused when I’ve been awake all night. Not to worry. I’ve got my NASCAR (Nap Opportunity) race today!
And double YIPPEE! I get my first dose of COVID vaccine on Wednesday. Staying up all night has its advantages!
Yeah, it can be confusing when it’s technically a sparrow but the word ‘sparrow’ isn’t in their common name.
Congrats on your first poke, Laura! Oh, and on being the first commenter too.