female mallard in flight

[Kazoo]

Would love some suggestions on how to get more feather detail on the wings (I'm a newbie who needs to play with more camera settings). Next time I'll get out before noon so it's not so bright.

 

[Viperjet]

Use a faster exposure, and everything will be sharp.

 

[Buszaj]

yup, what Viper said, make sure you've got a fast aperture (i.e. 2.8), focus on the duck, and fast shutter speed.

 

[AIRIC]

I generally shoot action shots like these in aperture priority set at either 5.6-6.8 depending on the lighting. I use 400 iso. This will give you the fastest possible shutter speed and a little better depth of field then shooting at 2.8. If the auto focus locks onto anything but the body there will not be enough depth of field to keep the body and eyes sharp. Steady panning goes a long way when the shutter speed drops.

That’s what works for me as you can see in this thread.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=101616

Eric

 

[Dynamic]

Would love some suggestions on how to get more feather detail on the wings (I'm a newbie who needs to play with more camera settings). Next time I'll get out before noon so it's not so bright.

I'd only go out to shoot 'flight' shots when it is bright outside so that you can use the fastest shutter speeds available ! That way you can turn the ISO down and still shoot at around 1/800 or so. If by any chance you want to practice panning, try cars on any street. It is an endless supply of subject and a great way to improve your skills.

 

[Kazoo]

That'll help me loads!

And thanks for the reinforcement that I can sleep in and still take shots