I took this photo a few weeks ago. I know its only a herring gull but I would really like to know if there is anyway I should improve the image. I've processed it in Lightroom 4 and PS, using a curves adjustment, sharpening and contrast. I just feel the image isn't quite right but would value you opinion and advice. Thanks very much.
Canon 7D, 100-400mm, ISO640, -1/3 Ev, F7.1, 1/1000 SS
Greetings. A good subject to practice on... whites are tough. Looks like an overcast day with the sun high in the sky? Better light (sun lower to horizon & a little brighter) might improve detail on whites. BG is distracting with the light colored rocks intersecting the subject. Color & focus looks good.
Welcome and the opportunity here is composition and Michael has already mentioned the background, it is not bad but improvements can be made. Remember you control the frame and that usually includes a foreground a subject and a background. They must all three work together to control the eye and ensure the picture is viewed correctly. The opportunity here was to use a wider aperture to blur the background or find a cleaner backdrop, love the low shooting angle you get high marks for that. On balance not bad, just try and isolate the subject by either moving your position or adjusting the DoF to add harmony to the frame and eliminate distracting elements. This is good, keep posting and things will continue to improve - thanks for sharing - keep em coming.
Last edited by Jeff Cashdollar; 06-23-2012 at 12:29 PM.
Love the low shooting angle. Comments by Jeff and Michael are on the money. Not long after getting my first camera a few years ago, I read one should have a progression in setting up a shot. First light, then background and last subject. When I have the discipline to follow the progression, the percentage of keepers increases.
Herring Gull - How to improve
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