Is there anything I could have done better?

[Viperjet]

This is a shot that I took a while back at the San Diego Zoo.

Does anyone have any ideas of things that I could have done better?

 

[RKW3]

For some reason it looks like the quality lacks. There are a few causes that come to mind:

1) The upload to the internet distorted the picture
2) The ISO level was too high (although I don't see too much noise here)
3) The lighting was too harsh

Also it looks like the DOF was so small that part of the bird is out of focus (unless i'm looking at it weird)

It does look slightly pixelated and weird, so the upload to the internet may just be the cause. Maybe search for some threads on TPF or google search for help on this topic.

 

[Viperjet]

I was using an ISO of 100. I'm pretty sure the lack of quality you're seeing is because I downsized it before uploading...

 

[ClarkKent]

Maybe darkening the background a bit could help.

 

[Roger]

if you are using 'save for web' after you've adjusted for size that's where the problem is. The best way to display images for the web is to save at 72dpi and size at around 700-800 pixls on the longest side. That is providing you are starting with fairly big files. The pic looks good in terms of colour, dof and composition.

 

[skylark]

Aside from the comments on the merits or otherwise of upload methods I think that there may be a couple of technique comments I would like to make (for what it's worth )
1) I always feel that most portraits , no matter what the subject, is improved by'catching the eye' . The eye is not the centre of attention here and could have been focussed a little sharper.
2) The DOF is a little bit too shallow. I guess that the lighting was such that to capture the bird with a still head needed a fastish shutter speed which forced the aperture to be a little wide. That said the image is a little on the light side.
I would suggest using PS to sharpen the eye a little and also to up the contrast/decrease the brightness a little. If you have no objections I could try it myself and send you a copy - bearing in mind your wish not to have edits posted .

Cheers CJB

 

[flyingseale]

In addition to the helpful comments already made...I'd suggest cropping off a lot of the right hand side so that the subject was not centred and at the same time became a larger percentage of the frame.

Mike

 

[Viperjet]

if you are using 'save for web' after you've adjusted for size that's where the problem is. The best way to display images for the web is to save at 72dpi and size at around 700-800 pixls on the longest side. That is providing you are starting with fairly big files. The pic looks good in terms of colour, dof and composition.

Roger, thanks for the tip on the image resolution, I'll keep that in mind the next time I post a photo.

Skylark, I'll think about it, and thanks for the opportunity.