Hi Snapshot, a snapshot this is not, you look at this cone and feel a tall, sunlight warmed tree with a soft breeze swishing through it's needles, wafting a smell of pine. To photograph God's creativity with an open heart/mind with the mechanical knowledge of how to produce an image, is one of the most satisfying experiences one can have. To take a simple subject and experiment with it, to bring out what you see in it, is a blessing to the photographer. You done well and thanks for sharing.
Tom

You will get a lot of excellent ratings, comments and so on, but if there could be only one image to describe what bird photography should be like, - this is it, the download is a must to see the best. Good, better and best all rolled into one.

Excellent image Bob. If you were to sell at an art show, you might overhear what is being said about your art (photographs). Could be ego building or deflating, like how the colors would go with the decor of a room, it would look great in the upstairs bathroom, the portrait format doesn't work with the other pictures. Nothing about how much they love (understand) the artist's viewpoint, how much work, heart and soul was put in to create the image. We must keep on producing however, not for others, but for our own enjoyment, satisfaction, egos and to share with others with the hope that you get good vibes. As before, I like this image, good vibes, my friend.
Tom

Excellent image Jim, just imagine how the riot of color in the trees and leaves would destroy this image. This one shows how a B/W image is more captivating and powerful at times. The download should be viewed. Thanks for sharing.
Tom

If you used food to attract, instead of whispering "sweet nothings", then it has to be a HIM. Isn't photography fun?

There is more than just a super sharp image capture here. I love your use of the blurred, same color, background to make the bird pop up off the paper. Your planing, prefocus all add up to an excellent image to be proud of. Do you wear that hat when shooting? also remember not to squat when you got your spurs on.

BasqueLady you did an excellent image here. The composition and all are very good, but you just nailed it on the exposure for that time of the day as shown by the cloud. Could be on a sport fishing magazine.
Tom

All three very good, but you made number one a stand out and a real wall hanger.

Motorcycle racing?, with those steel pointy studs sticking out of the tires, you hadn't better fall off kind of things. Now that's MAN tough.

Hey Ron up here in Michigan we call that a light frost. LOL In the winter we have sports car racing on the lakes AFTER the big snow trucks clear a road course for us. This is a great shot, Is it a 180 degree stitched?
Tom

This series is just great, full tones and not soot black and paper white. Excellent examples of what we used to do before digital. Much, much experience showing through here.
Tom

The conversion you started with and let us download was to these tired ole eyes the best of the bunch. When doing an image THINK simplify, simplify. They all are good but number three is number one.
Tom

Jomak 1, it's always more easy to shoulda, coulda, woulda after the fact, but after a lifetime or two it will become second nature to compose in the camera. Keep shooting, your doing good, and shortly you will have more wall hangers than file 13teens. Always shoot to please yourself, not to please someone else, unless it's a commission job.
Tom H

Hi Brent,

Don't know why, but first thought was Andy Warhol. Not sure if that is a complement or not, but I do like the image.
Tom H

G'day mate,

Very good shot. Focus, exposure, color all dead on. I like the placement, the (leader lines) branches bring the eye back around to the subject very well. If it were mine, maybe a little cropping on the top and the left side almost up to the little twig branch, just nit pick'n after the fact. Again a great shot no matter what you call it.
Tom H