My first day of photographing birds in flight: Male Mallard Duck

[Don Komarechka]

So I had a blast testing out my new lens the other day, and birds were my subject. This is my first post in this forum, and I'd love to get some feedback on my results:



Basic info: Canon 5D mark II, EF 100-400L IS @ 400mm, F/8, 1/1000 sec, ISO 320

This mallard had just taken off from a small pool of water on top of the ice on a warm winter day. I was sitting at a nearby picnic table watching and photographic the birds, and this was my first attempt photographic any birds in flight. I'm sure there are many helpful tricks to learn, and I'm eager to learn them. Comments and critiques wanted! Thanks in advance!

[Randy Stout]

Don:

A nice first post. Bird is sharp and well exposed. Nice wing position, like the translucent effect in the back wing.

Nice blurring of the background.

I would recommend a bit more room all the way around, it feels a bit cramped. How big of crop was this from the original file?

The brightness of the background in some areas is a bit distracting, as the eye is first drawn to areas of high contrast/brightness.

Keep them coming. Ducks and swans are fun to practice on. Don't feel that you have to go out for exotic species right away. Take lucks of ducks, swans and gulls to perfect your technique.

When light will allow, I would prefer a faster shutter speed for BIF. I am sure your camera can tolerate a bit higher ISO, to allow faster shutter speed while maintaining depth of field.

Randy

[Don Komarechka]

Hi Randy,

Thanks very much for your critique! Below you will find a version of the image with the full canvas. I wasn't sure if/how much to crop it in, maybe you (or others) could give me a pointer for how large the bird should be in the frame? I agree on the background, but I was actually in an open area and this duck flew by the only patch of trees near me. I'll have to hunt around for a more tree-covered area on my next walk :)

[Randy Stout]

Don:

something like this gives the bird room to fly into. Lots of differences of opinion about cropping exist. In general, try to keep the bird out of the center of the frame, which tends to look a bit static. Note that I have a lot more room in front than behind.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I like the pose and BG, a slightly wider crop might work, too, and I would sharpen the bird more. Keep them coming!

[Doug Brown]

Welcome to the flight photography club Don! Your tech specs look good for capturing flight images. I like the repost by Randy. Try to get the birds coming at you, and look for photos with the wings either full up or full down. Look forward to seeing more of your flight stuff!