I got this shot last October at a local lake. I know the subject is centered but because the bird was pretty far to the left in the original framing, I didn’t think it would be good to crop it any further. Aside from that, what could I do to improve this shot?
What technical feedback would you like if any?
Any
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
Any
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
(If backgrounds have been removed, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
Canon 7D Mk II, 1/2500 @ f/8.0, ISO 400, 100-400 mm F/4.5-5.6 L IS II USM +1.4 x III t.c. at 280 mm. Some noise removal, a minor edit to remove a distraction in the background and some increased exposure of the background to help the legs show better.
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PatrickThompson2080
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Hello Patrick. I do like your shot a lot that’s a great simple background wonderful flight pose the bird seems to be Sharp and I see detail in the feathers. For me it works entirely. Okay you mentioned it yourself the bird is centered. I don’t know if you’re using Photoshop, you could have created more canvas in front of the bird then used content-aware tool for filling in the additional water. And what I’m saying you might not be familiar with but you wouldn’t have lost any resolution with respect to the bird itself. There any rate I like this image lot.
Welcome, Patrick. This is a fine first post. Jim has an excellent suggestion for moving the bird in the frame without losing detail. I love the wing position in this image. I do think you could bring the exposure on the bird up a bit, the head and neck, in particular, look pretty gray on my monitor. You might have to hold down the exposure of the brightest whites, but there are several methods of doing so depending on your processing software.
Again, welcome to the Avian forum, I look forward to more of your posts and your input on other’s images.
Welcome! Glad you’re with us!
This is a very nice first post. Fine flying pose, quite sharp and interesting water as well as a bit of reflection.
The image seems to need a slight clockwise rotation to level the waves.
Looking forward to more posts from you, as well as comments and critiques on the work of others!
Sandy
