Ungracious guest

[purplehaze]

I put out sunflower seed for the birds, but it was inevitable that they would attract this lout. I will have to get better bird feeders.

[billtils]

Very nice of her/him to pose for you Janis. Good depth of field with sharp eye and just enough detail in the framing woodwork.

[Manfred M]

Yes, that is a very strange bird in your feeder. They are very good (at times) at finding ways to clear out the food put out for birds. My "squirrel proof" feeder works well in the spring, summer and fall, but unfortunately in the winter, the snow gets to be high enough that they can bypass the anti-squirrel features.

One thought about this image; the bright wood that frames this shot is a bit distracting. I suspect that the image would be stronger if you burned those areas down a bit.

[Wavelength]

I really like the image and this adorable little thief....

[bje07]

Very nice picture.

[purplehaze]

Thanks, Nanda and Jean.

Manfred, i tried to do as you suggested, but the results weren't pleasing to me, so I gave up. I liked this other image better, anyway.

[bje07]

Janis, never give up.
I suppose what Manferd suggested was something like thisUngracious guest_reviewed

By selecting the wood and changing its level you get that.

[Manfred M]

Janis, never give up.
I suppose what Manferd suggested was something like this

Exactly. The wood looks a bit "hot" and burning it down a touch draws the eye towards the squirrel.

[purplehaze]

Yes, thanks, Jean and Manfred; I knew what you meant, Manfred, but it was the colour of the wood on my screen that I wasn't liking. But I have been digging into colour manipulation a bit lately, so should be better able to get what I'm after.

As far as the B&W goes, the only part that I was inclined to bring down a bit (but didn't) was the sill.

[Manfred M]

Yes, thanks, Jean and Manfred; I knew what you meant, Manfred, but it was the colour of the wood on my screen that I wasn't liking. But I have been digging into colour manipulation a bit lately, so should be better able to get what I'm after.

As far as the B&W goes, the only part that I was inclined to bring down a bit (but didn't) was the sill.

I thought that might have been the issue Janis. When we burn down, a side affect can be an increase in the saturation of the colours. Depending on the tools you use, this can be mitigated. In Photoshop, I do a lot of my burning in Luminosity blending mode, which darkens the area without increasing the saturation.

[purplehaze]

Great tip; thanks, Manfred.