One of my favorite birds to practice my photography on: the nuthatch
Nuthatches abound in the woods in the Alameda open space. White-breasted with a blue-grey back, the nuthatch darts from branch to branch and tree to tree, and are very active little birds. They are so funny to watch as they often will go from the top of a branch to the bottom, and hanging upside down as though gravity is not a real thing. Nuthatches use their sharp beaks to pick out insects from the bark on trees as seen in the second and third picture. Being so active, they provide a photographer opportunities to take pictures of them in all kinds of light, honing one's skills as to what type of light produces the best results. What makes a 5-star picture, with 5 being the highest rank? I've been serious about photography for about a year now, the length of time I've owned my camera and birding/wildlife lenses. During this time my opinion has changed quite often. Does the picture have fine feather definition especially when magnified? Am I obeying the 'rule of thirds...