The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
This is an oldie, from 2017. (I don’t find that I’ve posted any of them before.) We had a much-loved covey of quail living in a blackberry thicket on our five acres. But despite training them to come up to the house for seed every morning before they headed off to work (or maybe they had trained me…) I didn’t get many photo ops that I was delighted with. Then a few months after this they perished in one of the California wildfires – along with a lot else. A herd about half a mile away survived and we have always hoped that group might send out settlers. But there isn’t as much cover now as there was then and it seemed a faint hope. Then in the last couple of months we had seen a few and they seemed to be roosting in thick sucker growth underneath a group of redwoods. Then yesterday evening we saw four groups of parents with chicks of varying ages emerge, and again this morning! A water dish is now out well away from the tree by the corner of the house where I can fill it early every morning and scatter seed, hopefully surreptitiously. Then I’ll start moving the seed closer to my new bird blind.
Specific Feedback
All comments welcome!
Technical Details
Reprocessed from the raw file with a little more sophistication than before. Full frame except small amounts added on the sides to level slightly and a sliver of content-aware fill at the base. Then some subtle color work and some dodging and burning with masked curves.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
I love this shot and as we talked about, I wish you stellar success in getting them to settle in and adopt gorgeous poses in perfect light. Like this one, say. Wherever you put the blind, I’m sure you’ll be mindful of perches and backgrounds to get something this dandy. That little crest! That belly plumage! Oh I wish we had these here, but if we did, I’d probably have as much success shooting them as I do grouse - very little.
Hi Diane, this is terrific. Love the pose with the angled body and head turn. The tuft on the head is really something. Pleasing BG and the subtle colors on the bird are great. Well done!
Beautiful image - fine detail, great pose, sweet BG and interesting perch.
You needed just a bit more DOF to get the tail and back sharp.
Best of luck enticing them closer!
Thanks, @Kris_Smith, @Allen_Sparks and @SandyR-B! Shallow DOF is just something I accept with many of these shots, but it’s getting better now with the newer bodies and high-ISO NR. He had been facing to the right in a standard-issue pose and when he wheeled around like this I was lucky to grab a shot. His tail wasn’t pretty anyway as he’d been dragging it around in wet grass on a dewy morning.
Hah! That’s pretty much a default state of mind. I’d never “trade up” from 48 to 24 MP and don’t need the sports-shooting features, but the R5 II does look tempting. I’ve tried hard to wear out the predecessor. I’ll be pixel-peeping the sensor specs.
A beautiful image of this quail, Diane. They can be difficult to find in nice settings, but a feeding station should do the trick A good perch for the male to keep lookout from will probably get you some really cool images, though you’d be hard pressed to beat this one.
The way the quail is perched so elegantly on that weathered stump captures a moment of quiet dignity. Diane, the image beautifully showcases the intricate patterns and colors of the bird’s plumage, which are brought to life by the soft, even lighting. The background’s gentle blur creates a pleasing contrast, ensuring the quail stands out with remarkable clarity.
The story behind this photo adds a layer of depth, speaking to the resilience and beauty of nature amidst adversity. It’s wonderful to hear that new groups of quail are beginning to settle once again. Your efforts to provide for them and create an inviting environment show a deep connection to these birds.
Thanks, @Dennis_Plank, @Peter_Morrissey and @Saundie! I just saw some of them again this evening emerging from the redwood where they had apparently been camped during another hot day. (Cooler for the next week, thankfully.) Dennis, I mourn the loss of that old fencepost. Need to go hunting…
