What technical feedback would you like if any?
any feedback on how this photo could be better would be great , thanks
Hi Michael,
The red of the bird contrasts nicely with the surroundings in this image and I like the rain. The perch and background is rather busy (especially the branch intersecting the bird’s head) and the bird is rather soft. I think you could crop some in off the right to move the bird off center. Having a head turn more toward us would also improve the image.
Including your shooting specs (settings) would help with critique of the image.
Thanks Allen, This is my first day on this site and that kind of information is exactly what I have been looking for a long time now, all I seem to get is praise or nothing from others and that does not help me at all, I look forward to having a long history with this site.
Thanks
Mike
Controlling the background is a real trick. Frequently you have to take what you can get. The simple way to improve this would be just to crop it to remove the cluster of dead branches in the lower left. Take lots of pictures and get different poses when you find a cooperative bird. Post frequently Michael and pay attention to what the “old timers” on this site have to offer. They are some of the best bird photographers you will find.
Thanks Skip, great advise, I usually get lots of photos of one bird because i’m addicted to the continues setting however this bird did not cooperate and I got maybe six. I have been looking for a site like this for a long time, I will be spending a lot of time here and trying to pick everybody’s brain. That particular photo was not altered in anyway, it is what it is straight out the camera. that almost never happens to me, I Photoshop everything sometimes a little sometimes a lot.
What technical feedback would you like if any?
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
Any pertinent technical details:
You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques.
Like This ??
Hi Michael, Northern Cardinals are one of my favorites. I certainly like the pose you got with this one, he has a nice perch as well. I like that the background in low key, making the bird stand out more. Also decent lighting.
My problem is that when I blow this up, it doesn’t look anywhere near sharp. Hence, details are lacking in the image, the bird. You didn’t mention what camera or settings you used. For my personal tastes, an avian image must be as near to sharp as it can be. Knowing what camera settings you used would be helpful to anyone making a critique!
I think you are new to these pages, as am I. I belonged to NPN several years ago and have returned. My specialty being Avian photography.
Jim
the lack of detail is a disappointment, I only had a second to take photo and switched to auto, I was caught off guard … well that’s my story and i’m sticking to it lol Today is my first day on site and already in trouble for posting to many photo’s 
Thank you for your words, that’s what i’m here for.
What technical feedback would you like if any?
Too Much ?
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
Too Much ??
Any pertinent technical details:
You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques.
You have a way better head angle here and comp although I would move the bird to the right a bit.
I would take out the branches in the LLC and maybe the vertical one below the bird.
Whites could be lowered and NR would help the BG. I would also get rid of the dark branch in the URC. Bird looks a bit too orange.
A bunch of critique but you said you wanted some.
Glad you are posting hope to see more.
I think I learned more from critiquing other photos than I did taking them.
Don’t worry, i’m having a blast … I don’t know what NR means, i’m a little slow sometimes lol, I will try again. Hope y’all don’t get tired of seeing this photo … my OCD kicks in sometimes. I will wait till I know what NR is " not rated " ?
NR = noise reduction.
cool, thanks
Looks like you’re getting some valuable feedback. NPN is a great place for that. Just to make sure you’re aware, please take a look at this link with the posting guidelines. Number 10 (down a bit in the page) requests that the limit is one image per day in a specific gallery. There’s no software set up to enforce this, it is on the honor system. Thanks for your help.
1 Like
oops, sorry
I actually left a critique on the previously submitted image of this cardinal. My main nit is that when you blow the image up, it doesn’t look sharp. Lack of detail.
I like the pose and perch. Michael, getting critiques will help you tremendously over time!
Jim
Hey Michael, just to add on to what Keith said, only one post per day in a category, but you can add revisions in the same original topic. Just add a reply and add the photo to the reply. I merged all of the topics, hopefully it’s not too confusing now!
Welcome to NPN and the Avian forum, Michael. It looks like you’re jumping in with both feet and that’s a good thing. Of the three images in this thread the second has by far the best composition. It’s good to have room in front of the bird and to have it off center. We often call it “giving the bird room to move into” and that’s a good way of looking at it.
All of the images are rather soft (meaning not well focused). The first actually looks the best to me in that regard. I’m not sure what equipment you’re using or what settings, so it’s really difficult to say what might be the cause. I’d suggest that you include camera, lens, focal length, shutter speed, aperture, and iso as basic information on your posts as it really helps with making suggestions.
A couple of basic suggestions for bird photography. Save your images in the RAW format in the camera so you don’t lose any information from the camera’s conversion to jpg. When you are shooting birds in busy areas like this use single point Autofocus (AF) and try to lock it on the eye or at least the head. Getting the eye sharp is the most important part.
Again. Welcome to the group. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
Gotta love Cardinals! Really cool setting. Would be nice to have his head turned a bit more towards you, but hey, there’s only so much you can control 
. I think it would really help this image to get rid of some of the space on the right and top, just to help it be less centered.