Whatever someones photographic experience Christine it doesnt mean you cant experiment and break out of the rut. With bird photos I think it very much depends on the type of shot you want. ALot of people do want the in your face up close bird shot only and there is nothing wrong with this shot. I do these kind of shots sometimes myself but I think if you are looking for more inspiration in your photos you have to break out of that mould. The two thirds rule applies to the composition of the photo, mostly in the editing not in the taking of the photo itself. If you have a certain photo in mind then you photograph the bird with enough space in your background to allow for experimenting with diferrent crops. It is amazing that by slightly altering a composition you can totally change the feel of a photo. This applies to any photo not just birds. Go on christine give it a try
