The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Went on a hike with my kids in a state forest we came across a rustling so we waited… this mother armadillo was having a heck of a time keeping track of all of her litter. She eventually got them all to cross the path into the deep brush
Specific Feedback
All of the technical!!
Any composition suggestions to make a stronger image
Any post processing to result in a stronger image
Thanks in advance!
Technical Details
Processing:
LR noise reduction
And color to taste
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
One day I hope to actually see armadillos. They don’t venture up north so chances are slim I ever will. Funny little critters. What a nice opportunity you had with your family and hers. In terms of improving things, the first thing would be to wait for a shot that has all the faces in it at once. Here one is hidden, mom is sort of turned away and one kid is off to the side and cut off. That cut off is adding to the feel of accident with this image. None of the three are fully in view and that does not feel like a deliberate choice. In terms of processing, I find it a bit harsh and contrasty - direct sun is a pain, but sometimes you have to take what you can get. You could try pulling down the whites and saturation to help with some of this. Hope that helps!
Oh and I’m a bit baffled at the high ISO for this considering it looks to be a bright, sunny scene. With the TC on you probably couldn’t open up more. Maybe the metering was figuring in the shadows too much. Are you working in Manual or one of the other modes? When I do wildlife or birds I use a shutter priority mode with auto ISO and use exposure compensation to finesse the right exposure for the subject. Sometimes I will use manual with auto ISO as well. With hummingbirds I use spot metering on the bird and leave my setting so that as the bird moves over different backgrounds, the exposure stays the same. Tough to do with grab shots like your armadillo family, but sometimes setting up a custom mode for surprise wildlife can set you up for more success.
Freddie, this sounds like a delightful nature experience. Mom nuzzling the one youngster is a fine catch that would look very good, provided you didn’t have the out-of-focus grass (oof) covering parts of both of them. Would it have been possible to get lower down? This would move that one blade of grass so it didn’t hide either mom or youngster #1. This is too bright. While you may be able to burn-in some of the brightest bits on the Armadillos, you probably can’t tame the oof grass or the walkway. In general, it’s better to slightly under expose, because blown highlights tend to grab more attention tha black areas. So I’m thinking that shooting this a -1EV and then dodging some of the darker areas in post processing would work well.
Freddie, welcome to NPN. The cute factor with the baby armadillos is over the top on this one. I think you’ve received good feedback on the techs from @Kris and @Mark on this one. Good experience with your kids. Some of the best times of my life were slogging through the meadows and creeks with my two little guys looking for bugs under rocks and catching fish. Thanks for sparking that memory too.
