A ruffled woody woodpecker

[csa mt]

Sorry for my absence, real life interferred.

Here's one of a woodpecker, taken with my Pentax K10D and a Tokina AT-X 400 lens.

[chauncey]

Hmm...black and white bird is a tough exposure problem.
You nailed the whites, now bring up the blacks until detail shows, as in the whites.

[csa mt]

I don't know how to bring up detail in the blacks. I use Elements and FastStone.

[Ziggy]

He does look a little ruffled Carol.

[csa mt]

He does look a little ruffled Carol.

A yellowjacket was buzzing around him, so he kept shaking his feathers to keep it away.

[Ziggy]

A yellowjacket was buzzing around him, so he kept shaking his feathers to keep it away.

Well I know that would ruffle my feathers.

[Shadowman]

Nice capture.

[csa mt]

Jim, that's why I was using the 400mm; I didn't want to get my feathers ruffled by that yellowjacket!

[csa mt]

John, thank you! I appreciate your reply!

[dje]

Nice shot Carol, I like the composition and the bird's expression.

Dave

[csa mt]

Dave, thank you! I really appreciate your comments!

[Brownbear]

I also think this is a lovely image. Beautiful focus and composition, details in the white feathers, and a wonderful expression on the bird. If I recall correctly Elements allows one to do a curves adjustment to lift shadows, or any way to lift shadows which should bring out a little more detail in the blacks.

[csa mt]

I'll try experimenting with the curves adjustment; I've not used it before, but worth a try.

I thank you for your very kind comments, it's greatly appreciated!

[IzzieK]

Carol -- thank you for posting this one. Now I know what kind of bird is sharing my bird feeder...I have one the same as this one that I cannot identify because I have not seen it closeup...him and his cahoots have a nest in the property across us as she told me...there are also a few other birds which my usual feeder residents had invited over to our place here so maybe I will give my hummer watching a rest and photograph a few of them newcomers...thanks again...

Oh btw, this bird make sure it stays away from my hummer feeders. I didn't know it bothers them...Nicely caught...

[FootLoose]

Nice composition, Carol. I like the blurry background in this one. Ruffled, you reckon? It looks positively disgruntled (to put it politely)

[John 2]

That's a nice capture Carol with a good BG.. Agree with Christina over the shadow areas and it would be worth doing. If it's there, it would be worth including the whole of the tail as well. Fine shot.

[bnnrcn]

Very nice image Carol

[csa mt]

Hi Izzie! There are two varieties of woodpeckers around here, the Downy and the Hairy. I believe this is the Hairy, as it has a longer beak than the Downy, and is larger.

Try putting out some suet blocks for them, they really love that, also like apples, cut in half or quarters & stuck on a branch.

[csa mt]

Footloose, thank you! The Tokina does have a nice bokeh! Sadly, this was shot in JPEG, and I tried using the "curves", but ended up loosing detail in other parts of the image. Of course I'm not experienced in using the curves at all. Yeah, I was upset when I saw the tail cut off in this image. He was hopping & flying from tree to tree, so was difficult to catch him, and didn't notice the tail when I took the image.

And, I agree; he was definitely disgruntled, to say the least.

[csa mt]

Binnur, thank you for looking, and your kind comment!