N-ice and pretty these are. Really seems to set off the colors of the birds well. I really like #2 but #3 is best for me. Worth braving the elements, these have great character.
I really like the female, 2. Nice composure, the lines of the bird accented by the lines of the branch. Everything but the bird framed in ice. Very nice indeed.
Thanks everyone. I don’t take bird photos often because I am using a 300 f2.8 with a 1.4x, and it is not easy to get close enough. I would buy a 500 f4.0, but I just bought a D3 (for af tracking) and don’t know whether to get the long lens for the Nikon or for the Canon. I am going to try the 200-400, and while I have it, I’ll use a 1.4x and try to get some bird photos and compare them to what I get from the 1Ds2 and 300 + 1.4x. Any thoughts or suggestions are certainly welcome....
Wow, Nice shots. I would love to get an oppourtunity to shoot cardinals let alone get them with frozen Branches. Super Job in taking advantage of the situation.
I like #2 the best because of the cardinal is in the 1/3 corner and the rest of the branches create a nice balanace.
This is a wonderful sequence, and such a delight to see. Thank you!
Thanks everyone. I made some prints of these, and we took the 13 x 19 print of the Chickadee out into the sunlight, and it just comes alive. The ice glistens like crystal and even the tiniest details in the Chickadee’s feathers are visible (they almost totally disappear in the tiny web image here). I think I’ll print one on 17 inch roll paper today.
These poor guys look wet and miserable, and probably more accurately depiction of the conditions that day,
