Friday Photo Critique #15
Friday Photo Critique is our weekly community project, where we publish a photograph submitted by one of our wonderful readers, then ask you all to offer constructive feedback on the image.
It’s a great way to learn more about photography, express your viewpoint, and have your own image critiqued. Your response will also be displayed with a link to your website or portfolio, so be sure to enter it correctly when submitting a comment!
Quick Ground Rules
- Play nice! We’ve deliberately chosen photographs that aren’t perfect, so please be constructive with any criticism.
- Feel free to offer any type of advice – composition, lighting, post-processing etc.
- You can also link to photographs that you feel offer a great example of this type of image shot exceptionally well.
Without further ado, here is this week’s candidate for Friday Photo Critique!
The Photograph
Photographer: Chris Day
Please let us know what you think in the comments – how would you have approached the scene or taken the photo differently? A massive thank you to everyone who commented last week.
The most constructive and helpful comments will be featured on the site, and you’ll also be given priority to feature your own work in a future Friday Photo Critique!.
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it’s all about momentum. nice shot dude
The photo is relatively clear, my main problem would be with the timing of the shot. I believe a shot where the wings were open would have been more dramatic. It would have shown the bird as more majestic.
It’s a great capture, but very dull as an overall image of a bird in flight. Something beside an all sky blue background would seem more natural and interesting. As is there are basically two colours in the whole image.
Also bursting with a faster shutter speed would have caused less blur on the wings. Some is good if showing motion is your thing, but this just seems to create some sort of artificial depth of field effect. Bursting would also have allowed a better chance of getting a nicer “pose” — generally a stretched wingspan is desired because it emphasises the freedom of flight, rather than the bird wrapping into a ball.
It’s very challenging seeing the image happen, setting shutter speed, then keeping framing and focus all in order while a bird flies around. It’s a good job in that aspect
I agree with Jared — in my opinion including water / clouds / mountains o any kind of landscape in the background would add some variation to the image.
A faster shutter speed might have worked better too, though the focusing on the the head is done so well that it’s not necessary.
I don’t know if this is a cropped version of a larger image, but the framing is done really well in my opinion — however if you’re shooting with high enough Megapixels, I wouldn’t worry too much about framing from the original shot, there’s always room to crop later.
While I definitely agree with Jared about the dullness of this as an overall image (yet a fantastic capture of a bird in flight), I’d disagree about the blur on the wings. The bird’s obviously taking off or landing and they flap their wings so quickly, that I like all the motion blur in it. It adds some story and some motion, especially since the focus on the head is great.
I’m not sure if something like a cloud or a mountain or something like that is going to solve the problem though. I think you need something to connect the bird TO, rather than just a place to put him IN, if that makes sense.
I like the point of view, I like the moment, and I love the exposure. It just needs something more to give it story I think.
I like the angle of attack!
Most people I’ve talked to about BIF (bird in flight) photography have said you typically want a smaller aperture like f8 to f10 and then a shutter speed of at least 1/1000th. Of course that’s if you want to stop the wings (ie motion).
I know that’s what I look for when I try and do BiF stuff.
i think b&w will play nicely with this photo. may i edit this photo slightly and send a link?
Yes please do! I am very grateful for everyones feedback and sometime during the week I am going to sit down and take all your advise and try a touched up version of my photo
First one is pure black and white. Second is more like monochrome (i prefer the second one).
http://cdn.photographyforsoul.com/pre/bw.jpg
http://cdn.photographyforsoul.com/pre/bw_monochrome.jpg
By the way I agree with all commentators; however this is an action shot. Unless you have shot thousands of similar frames, the outcome is a union of pure luck and quality observation. You have done a great job to capture the flight so close & detailed. About the setting (clouds etc.), I don’t know the real environment on that location but in time you can figure out how to enrich the composition. practice makes perfect.
Coming back to the frame; as is, the frame is really outstanding. Yes, the bird looks a little dull but it is the bird’s gesture. The photo has every ingredient it needs to create a wow effect. All you need to do is to stir things up a little bit. Post production is your hero here.
I just did a quick edit adding a bit contrast and changing the color scale. You can immediately see the change in mood. You can get more keen and create an even better version.
B&W Makes a great improvement. The lack of colour, apart from the plain blue, essentially makes it a colourless image. B&W generally causes peoples eyes to focus on the details and this image is a great example of it. I.e. Rather than a bird on bright blue, it’s all about the bird now.
Good idea
Nothing realy to say (it’s a great picture) but make me think of my hollidays in “bretagne” in Le Guilvinec !! ^^ http://leguilvinecdailyphoto.blogspot.com/ (great pictures from britany in france)
Well it’s always quite difficult to capture birds in the sky…but one thing you could have used is a faster shutter speed to reduce the blur. But I”m not sure how that would affect the exposure of the img..
http://www.redbubble.com/people/rodeorose/art
By the way check out the bird photos over here. She is an amazing photographer. You can get ideas of how to improve on bird shooting.
I honestly think this would look Waaaaay cooler with the shutter speed at about 1/2500. I hate blur (although sometimes it does add to the shot)
I like that the wings are at the position where they are opening. Symbolicly I think it would give it a meaning like the possibility of its built momentum. If you get what I mean.
I do have the same problem as many have pointed out though–the sky. Its too plain. Mix it up with the background a bit.
It looks good, it seems that that the bird will attack someone.
First of all I like the shot. It’s very hard to get a great shot of a BIF. Like a few others have said this type of shot looks a lot better with the wings spread wide unless you’re showing a series where this one would help tell more of a story.
Now since this is the shot we’re asked to critique I would just want to see how it would look in B&W. It might give it more punch. The bird itself isn’t a very coolrful bird and the blue sky is more of a distraction.
An open wings shot would have been great…in this one, the bird seems sick, with sleepy eyes
Mus it must be a difficult exercice to do, i would not have done better
I think there is great expression in his face, but the blur of the wings is distracting attention away from that. I love the b&w version, but I would go a step further, crop to the face and increase the contract to create more mood…