Today (after a request from a friend) I’m going to feature a few images of Bohemian Waxwings. Waxwings in general, and Bohemians in particular are spectacular birds. Their smooth, almost textureless, plumage makes them look like they were, well…. carved out of wax. Unlike their better known southern counterpart, the Cedar Waxwing, Bohemians are dominated by gray, with just a touch of chestnut around the face and under the tail. But it is the flashes of reds and yellows in the wings, that really make these birds pop. In short, they are simply elegant. Fairbanks is lucky to have this species around throughout the year, but is the winter months when they are most easily observed. Voracious fruit-eaters Bohemian Waxwings can almost always be found around Choke-cherry trees where the fruits from the previous summer are still hanging in abundance. One of the best places to find them is in the parking lots on the upper campus at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, however all three of these shots were made in a friend’s backyard.
The top is my favorite of the series and is overall a good image, but has a few flaws. First, I hate that shadow of the branch swiping across the bird’s breast. It is distracting and breaks up the smooth plumage of the bird. As with flaws of this kind, a bit of work in post-processing and I could probably remove that. Also the dry brown leaves are not a problem overall, but I dislike the ones right in front of the bird’s face. Otherwise it is nicely composed, shows some habitat and the gray background goes almost perfectly with the gray bird; an aspect I like very much.
This second image has little action with the bird reaching for a berry. The head is cocked nicely and you can even get a good look at the bird’s lovely red eye, but the image is busy. Too many branches, berries and leaf clusters.
This final image is similar to the one above, and has a lot of the same attributes and faults. Overall, it’s fine, but the shadows across the bird’s feathers are a nuisance and the background has just too much going on. Too many criss-crossing lines and contrasting shapes. Not bad, I’ve kept the shot for reason, but what I wouldn’t give to have any of these birds pose in front of a clean gray background. Next time. Next time.
These images, and other waxwing shots can be found for sale on my stock site as prints or digital downloads here.
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Always one of my favorites, I prefer the last photo because you can see the colorful design on the wing. In the second photo, the head tuft is down, is that because he is reaching? You are way too critical of your work, They are all wonderful to me.
Christine,
Thanks for the comment! You are correct that the bird’s crest in the second photo is hidden because it is reaching for a berry, plus it’s head is tilted just a bit away from the camera. As for the self-criticism, well, in this series, I’m doing that purposefully so people can see what it is I look for in an image. But I do it internally with every image I make, wondering how I can make it better it next time. It’s how I improve.
-Dave