This morning, while sitting behind my house, I photographed this Scaled Quail. The feet were buried inside a bush so I decided to make it a portrait. About 10% crop. I just love the scalloped effect of the feathers on the breast.
C&C welcome!
Canon 7D
Canon 400 5.6
ISO 400
f/6.3
1/2000sec
No flash
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The head is very sharp, and the eye looks great. Stopping down a little may have helped with the breast feathers, but they don't bother me at all. Your dedication is starting to pay off; you've brought a ton of birds into the backyard and your images are getting much better! :)
Excellent shot, Kristin - techs look good, composition well-chosen. The bird has a very regal look. You might consider slightly darkening the feathers adjacent to the lower part of the frame, but otherwise the exposure looks very even on my monitor.
If this is 90% of the original image, then you were quite close, which would account for the slightly OOF feathers on the body, as that part of the bird was probably forward of the focal plane. Would have been solved by stopping down to f/8 - but IMO the image works as is.
Kristin, good attentive pose with the raised crest. Good sharp detail around the head and beak, and I agree with your hubby, stopping down would work. ;)