Original image:
Rework 1 (larger canvas)
Rework 2 (Crane moved)
Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Between November and January, Common Cranes spend some time in northern Italy during their migration trip. During the day they fly around to feed but tend to gather all together in the evening, in some safe area. Here, they are heading, right at sunset, to the wetlands of the “Storck and Duck Centre”, a private (but open to the public) protected wetland reserve in the middle of the Po Valley and not far from the cities of Turin and Milan.
UPDATE: Following the suggestions from Dennis and Allen, I added two different reworks - one adding more canvas space, I did it in Photoshop as I was not able to achieve it in LightRoom (my favourite processing tool). The other is even more invasive, that is, moving the top crane a bit lower… I am not sure I like doing this type of manipulation (expecially the second one), but it was fun to try. Thanks! (and I would appreciate your thoughts if you feel like).
Specific Feedback
Standard critique
Technical Details
Nikon Z8, 600/6.3 + 1.4X, ISO 400, f/9, 1/250
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HI Antonello, nice group shot. I like the various wing positions and the background light is lovely. I’m going back and forth about keeping the top bird in place or not. I think it is fine with it. I think increasing ISO and shutter speed will yield a bit sharper result but this is still nice as is.
Thanks Allen! Yes, I was also undecided about the top bird… With it, is a upward-pointing arrow, without, a cleaner horizontal arrowhead… But in the end I opted for keeping it. I totally agree with the sharpness issue… I left the 1/250 as the lower limit from previous shots to still birds in a shaded area, and then the group suddenly came and I did not have time to change the lower limit… Oh well. Thanks!
Hi Antonello. Welcome to the Avian forum. I do like the minimal overlap of the cranes and the lowest one gives the hint that they’re coming in to land. I do see the issue Allen mentioned with the upper crane. If you’re not averse to it, you might take a look at adding a touch of canvas on the top and left, which would tend to make it a bit more a part of the group.
Thanks Dennis! Good suggestion. I’ll try and see whether I am able to do it… 
A pleasing flight image, Antonello. Good to get them in such a nice, tight group. For me, the top crane adds a sense of upward motion to the image and agree with Dennis’s suggestion to add more canvas for the bird to fly into.
Really enjoying your image of the cranes Antonello, beautiful light for them to really stand out plus a lot of spacing and variety in their postures.
I think just adding canvas did the trick, Antonello, no need to move the crane, though it did work. Given the almost completely uniform background, I wouldn’t have any qualms about adding canvas.
By the way, it’s easier for people to tell what you’ve done if you put the reworked image(s) in the original post rather than the comment. Just go to the bottom of the original post under the critique template and click on the pencil icon. That puts you in the edit mode. You can go to the top of the text box that appears, put your cursor above any text and click on the little rectangle with an up arrow which will take you to your file management system and allow you to upload your reworked image. You can also label the original and the reworked images in the edit mode and edit the title to indicate that you’ve posted a reworked image.
Thanks Dennis, reworks moved above as indicated!
