Spotted Dove for Critique

[Adri Constantino]

Good day Mastah Romy,

Here is an unprocessed JPEG of a Spotted Dove taken around midday in Mindanao. Kindly critique the level of sharpening (will it look better if i sharpen certain areas only), colors, composition and cropping. Should I use evaluative metering for better exposure? Did I make a mistake when I chose AI servo for this shot?

Many thanks Mastah!

Shooting conditions:
Canon 350D, 300 F4L + 1.4x TC, ISO200, 1/1250, F5.6, Av mode, Partial metering, AI Servo
Unprocessed pic (converted from RAW to JPEG)


Processed pic:

[Romy Ocon]

You did right in choosing AI servo - this is the best AF mode for birds walking on the ground. You have to consider such subjects as if these are BIFs, and your shutter speed is just right.

The only issue in this shot is the placement of the focus plane. It seems it was backfocused a bit - note the sharper leaves and tiny blossoms above the bird's neck and the soft feathers on the nearer wing.

This backfocus can be caused by misplacing the focus point or there might be an AF calibration issue with your lens + body. Shooting in bursts increases the chances of a good focus lock if the cause is the former. If the latter, you might have to bring your gear to Canon service for AF fine-tuning, as the 350D doesn't have an MFA feature.

This shot can be salvaged for web display by sharpening the subject more than the background.

When cropping, try to include the hidden tail in the composition.

Brightness is ok on my LCD. This is a matter of taste, but I'd reduce the saturation of the greens a bit if this were mine.

[Adri Constantino]

Hi Mastah,

Sorry for the delayed response as I have been out (again). Thanks for the critique, hmm, I checked Zoombrowser and the focus lock is on the head of the bird so my lens and body may have to be calibrated.

Many thanks!