Limpkin with chick

[gail bisson]

My first post with BPN.
Canon 7D
Rented 500mm F4
ISO 200
Focal length 500mm
Aperture 5.6
ss 1/800
I love the feeling of this picture but something isn't right. What is the matter with this picture? I only have LR3 at the moment as I am learning camera etc and am not yet ready to tackle Photoshop but will in the next year!
What would you do to improve this picture?
Your help and advice is truly appreciated and will be acted upon!
Gail

[jack williamson]

Welcome Gail. When I scroll down to eliminate the oof long ripple the image instantly improves.

The birds are so close to the bg that I would prefer to see everything in focus. A higher iso, with a

smaller aperture would have given a deeper dof. This is a very good image of mom teaching baby.

There are others more experienced than me that will weigh in I'm sure. Again welcome

Jack

[Michael Gerald-Yamasaki]

Gail,

Greetings. Welcome to BPN. If it were mine, first, I'd be happy and excited at this great action shot, then I would crop it, perhaps something like:



This crop places the action at the intersection of thirds... might take more off the right. Some detailing/sharpening would be needed (this one suffers from cropping a small jpeg).

Look forward to seeing more from you...

Cheers,

-Michael-

[Tin Man Lee]

Good job catching the moment when the clam was just open and falling off to the water, Gail! It's not easy to get that from the boat. I think we were doomed by the distracting background here, and I agree a closer crop works better. It's a sweet moment. Look forward to seeing more of your work.

[gail bisson]

Thank you all for your comments. I have cropped as Michael suggested and it looks much better. Also agrre with Tin Man. I am trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear!
Gail

[Kerry Perkins]

Hi Gail and big warm welcome to BPN! Nice to have you here and we look forward to more of your images. I think you will find a wealth of information here, both in this and other forums as well as the educational resources we have.

You shouldn't be so hard on yourself here, this is a very nice capture! Michael's crop was my first thought on seeing the image, as it brings the focus in closer and makes for a more intimate portrait. Sweet interaction like this in a photo makes it easier to excuse some of the issues like the busy background and harsh light. You could easily have gone 1/3 of a stop lower with the exposure, but it is not bad. You have a good eye and solid basic understanding or your subjects so I think you will be an expert in no time! Look at lots of images, check out the avian and wildlife forums, and get out there and shoot lots of pics!