There's nothing like a good old Laugh
by owen

Comment by Jedusi:
Great shot - he looks full of life and character. Well done.

There's nothing like a good old Laugh
by owen

Comment by maxaz1:
Great shot. Makes me smile.

Time Out
by owen

Comment by GoRedWings:
Kickass.

Precision Landing
by owen

Comment by GoRedWings:
Excellent.

What male ego?
by owen

Comment by strangeghost:
Greetings from the Critique Club
by strangeghost

The first three parts of this critique are written based purely on examination of your photo. "Final thoughts" is written after reviewing your score, photographer's comments, and voter comments.

TECHNIQUE
Very sharp shot with beautiful, vibrant colors. My only immediate negative reaction is that the bird's head and neck are pretty dark in comparison to the rest of the image. Given that that's the putative subject of the image, my instincts want it to be brighter and more prominent. Having said that, the detail available in the tail is just amazing! This would make a great print - I can tell that there is so much to see in that expanse of feathers!

COMPOSITION
I like your idea and the perspective you've chosen. Deciding where to crop (or exactly how to compose) a shot like this is challenging. How much of the bird's neck and torso (?) do you include? Your choice feels a little awkward, but honestly, I'm not sure how a higher or lower crop would have worked either.

EMOTIONAL IMPACT
I think the dynamic of this picture would have been improved with more favorable lighting on the bird's face and headdress. As shot, it's interesting and a bit of an unusual take on a bird that everyone loves to look at, but the ability to connect with a viewer is enhanced, I think, by more focus on the eyes and/or faces of the subject. The connection to the challenge is obvious (I hope) to anyone who recognizes the wonderful display of powers of sexual selection.

FINAL THOUGHTS
A very nice shot of a beautiful bird. I just noticed your title (grin) which I think is great. Your final score is pretty respectable and your commenters certainly seemed to enjoy it. Nicely done!

Still Life
by owen

Comment by SandyP:
These birds are so photogenic and wonderful! Fantastic job!

Still Life
by owen

Comment by macrothing:
I gave this an 8. Very nice, liked the 'blue'. Difficult, but was a combination of the lack of detail discernible in the textures (which I realize was likely intentional) and the composition, just needed a little less perfect symmetry (maybe) - 'somewhere', for this image, in my opinion - if that makes sense.

Still Life
by owen

Comment by Hauxon:
Wonderful shot.

Still Life
by owen

Comment by BakerBug:
That is an amazing reflection!

Still Life
by owen

Comment by JeniY:
Amazing - Beautiful shot!!!