Female Anhinga

[Robert Amoruso]

Taken at Gatorland this week in overcast conditions.

Canon 7D
100-400mm @ 310mm
1/800 sec, f/5.6
Mode: Manual
Metering: Evaluative
ISO: 400
Flash: Off

I was shooting static subjects when she blasted off her perch. Ideally ISO 800 and smaller aperture for a bit more DOF would have been nice. I like the BG and her perch's graphic look. A few errant branches removed.

For whatever reasons it looks sharper in the original in PS then it does on the upload.

[Ofer Levy]

Pose is nice however, the whole bird looks soft due to motion blur. The head looks sharpened rather than sharp.

[James Salywoda]

A beautiful composition Robert very nicely captured I do see what Ofer is talking about in regards to motion sharpness its still an appealing image.

[Grace Scalzo]

Artfully composed with the branches and the background colors adding alot. I don't feel that the motion blur is fatal to this image as the head and eye look acceptably sharp.

[Greg Basco]

Robert, I too think this works despite the issues Ofer mentioned, which I do see. Nonetheless, it's got a really nice soft light feel to it.

Cheers,
Greg Basco

[Robert Amoruso]

Robert, I too think this works despite the issues Ofer mentioned, which I do see. Nonetheless, it's got a really nice soft light feel to it.

Cheers,
Greg Basco

Thanks Greg. I do not see the motion blur as an issue. I like it.

[arash_hazeghi]

It's a very cool bird but this photo doesn't work for me, the body lacks any detail from motion blur and the head looks over sharpened, personally would not try to sharpen a photo that has motion blur, it only results in artifacts.

[Morkel Erasmus]

looks a lot like the African Darter (just posted a photo)
I like the motion and wing blur but agree the head seems to have suffered - Robert would you mind posting an out-of-camera crop of just the head?

[Desmond Chan]

For whatever reasons it looks sharper in the original in PS then it does on the upload.

Actually, on my monitor, some parts of the bird look too sharp. Could be just my eyes :S3:

Anyhow, I like the background myself. I find the branches work well with the entire atmosphere of this photo conveyed by the color of the background.

Motion blur is fine with me.

Overall, I like this image !

[Art Kornienko]

I agree with Ofer and find the head quite soft and lacking detail. The branch on the left side seem a tad oversharpened to me.

[Daniel Cadieux]

With the tail fanning, the wings flapping and the leg rising of course the body will have motion blur to it with a "slow" SS but combined with the sharp face (but I agree oversharpened) that is the appeal to the image...a large but swift bird photographed taking off:c3: I find it effective and what is also intriguing is the "winter" like feel with the empty branches and a BG that is reminiscent to winters up here.