Update
Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I went to the pond to look for some birds around the pond near my house. This bird is a very fast flyer taking quick passes by the water. I am not sure what this bird is, but they fly with others.
Specific Feedback
I was not close enough to these birds so I cropped about 80% Tips on photographing fast flying birds are welcome. Should the background be a little darker.
Technical Details
Canon r5 ii RF 200-800mm (f/6.3-9) at 800mm f/14 1/1600 ISO 1600 HH
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1 Like
My first thought, Dean, would be this is a Barn Swallow. If so, good job in getting such nice detail, especially at 1/1600, as they’re fast and erratic flyers. I would usually try at 1/3200 or faster.
Hi Dean. Definitely a barn swallow. I don’t know if its just a tad of motion blur or the large crop with the bird still small in the frame, but the bird is just a trifle soft. As Allen noted, You really need a high shutter speed for this small a bird. Every once in awhile, you can catch them doing repeated passes for catching bugs or drinking and that’s the ideal time to try to photograph them (other than feeding youngsters). I don’t know what caused it, but it almost looks like there’s a second copy of the beak poking out lower down on the face-did you do any cloning in that area?
Thanks for the feedback, @Dennis_Plank and @Allen_Brooks. I did a sharpening and that may have created the side effect Dennis noted. These birds are here all the time now, will try again at a faster shutter.
