I totally agree that the mother is superfluous (that is a terrible thing to say - sorry)! Baby birds are the greatest opportunities for photos! This is a great shot. They look like they are talking. (and they need haircuts!)   Posted: 09/05/2023 12:44:57

I agree as well. My only critique of a very nice capture is the non-subject areas are a little too contrasty for my taste. I would soften/darken them slightly to show of the glow of the baby birds downy feathers.   Posted: 09/06/2023 13:20:28

Ginny and Dan, thank you both for your comments. I could work on the background a bit and then use a recently discovered tool in PS to add some glow to the chicks.   Posted: 09/06/2023 14:55:57

After you open an image in Camera Raw, on the upper right side you will see 7 symbols and under the last one is 3 dots. Choose the symbol just above the 3 dots which is presets. Once you've clicked on the preset tool, click on Adaptive Subject. Under that menu you will see several presets to highlight your subject (the preset will automatically choose your subject). Glow is the bottom most tool in the list. I also have used both Pop and Warm Pop.   Posted: 09/06/2023 15:11:02

Okay when I have time to do the pp, I will share it.   Posted: 09/06/2023 15:41:34

I quite like the original. It builds a narrative that shows a mothers pride as her chicks mature and attempt things on their own. My only suggestion would be to fill the blurry spot between the chicks.   Posted: 09/07/2023 19:29:01

Thanks Matthew. I will try fixing that blurry spot.   Posted: 09/11/2023 15:56:44

Really cute image. I wonder if you could have used less than 1/4000 ss so that you could get your ISO down. I'm always trying to find a way to get my ISO down since I live in the woods. Shows a lot of personality.   Posted: 09/12/2023 11:26:18

Hi Tracy. Thanks for your comments. I typically use a bit faster shutter speed to eliminate hand shake. With today's camera sensors and also postprocessing software, ISOs such as the 4000 I used with this image don't seem to be a problem, although I do try to keep ISO as low as possible as will give me the proper exposure with the other settings I have selected.   Posted: 09/12/2023 11:31:47

Hi Jack. What a great shot. I like your approach to first remove the mother bird. My humble concern is that the background and the foreground sharpness and clarity compete with the beautiful and unique fur of the chicks. I would tune down it in LR: reduce texture, clarity and saturation.
I would import two smart object layers to PS. The soft background and the original copy.
I would then mask the chicks from softer background, then increase contrast just part of the fur to make them more stunning. You are lucky to get this kind of candid shot.   Posted: 09/19/2023 22:31:00