I see what Dave is saying, but I cannot see a better crop for what is shown here - the branch composition is just so great, with perfect DOF. And I love the monochromatic tones that hint at color, just as winter does. Centered as it is, it really works for me after all.
Andy, I have come back to this at least half a dozen times. I'm truly torn. On one hand, this is such a minimalist's dream. Those branches, ever so slightly out of focus as you move back, render a spider's web of drama and illuminate the depth here. That bit of snow on those branches. And the bird, staring almost directly into the viewer's eyes. All that is wonderful. The two things that I find a bit harder to negotiate in my mind are the dead-center placement of the bird (but here I am torn, too, because every rule is meant to be broken, but ultimately I think it feels just a bit too centered)... as well as noise resulting from what I imagine was a neccessary high ISO rating and the need to adjust exposure so that the bird wasn't completely black. I want to suggest an alternate -- intensely high contrast, with a bit of a different crop. It'd be a completely different photo, but I can't help but wonder what it might look like.
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{K:15732} 1/27/2004
