A few days ago I published a picture of a Downy Woodpecker here in my blog. As longer I look at this image as less I like it. Why is that? The light was sufficient, the bird is well placed in the frame, and the image has a decent sharpness. It is the gesture of the bird, the fact that the Downy looks straight at me and you can't really see the shape of its bill.
To make things worse there is some suet of a nearby bird feeder around its bill. Maybe you think there is nothing wrong with that, but I finally do not like it. The good news is we have so many Downy Woodpeckers in the woods here that the chances are good to make another image more satisfying. A few days after the first shot I tried it again and this time I like the outcome much better. The position in the frame is similar, exposure and sharpness are good, and the bird has a nice catch light in its eye. And yes, its bill stands out and there is no suet around it…
- Nikon D300s, Sigma 50-500, f/4.5-6.3 APO DG HSM