Curious Cardinal

[JustPlainMe]

While I was resting and my kids were feeding the ducks at our local zoo, this cardinal decided to come sit next to me for just a minute. He was actually too close for my lens (4.9 feet) so I had to scoot away and shoot fast without disturbing him (my camera was in my camera case, zipped up, with the lens cap on. Good grief!).

Bird pictures are my holy grail right now, they are elusive and fast, and I don't have the right equipment. I can't believe he just sat there for me, it must be my lucky day.

I promise to wait until I have something far more post-worthy before posting here again, I just had to put this one up.

TFL!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3509/3463178213_20dfc74b14_b.jpg

[Harryb]

Nice capture and don't be shy about posting. If you have an image you're not happy with post it and the exif data and you'll have a bunch of folks who can tell you how to improve it.

[JustPlainMe]

Nice capture and don't be shy about posting. If you have an image you're not happy with post it and the exif data and you'll have a bunch of folks who can tell you how to improve it.

I am not happy with the PP version of this one; in order to reduce the noise in the BG, the bird looks slightly OOF. In the RAW version he's a little sharper. But still, this is way better than anything I've ever had before.

So what is preferable, a little noise in the BG and a sharper focal point or smoothed-out noise and a little less-than-sharp bird, which then I have to run an unsharp mask on and risk him looking over-processed? Noise in a BG doesn't bother me, but a soft bird that's been oversharpened does. This is re-posted without noise reduction and subsequent unsharp mask in PS.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3559/3464563944_230980da23_b.jpg

EXIF: ISO 250, 230mm, 1/400, f/5.6

What is the green fuzzy line that outlines his tail? Is that a problem with the lens, or a result of the contrast between the bird and the BG? Can I avoid that?