I have never felt that a photograph is about a single thing but is the overall effect in the eye of the beholder. I'm equally aware that others take a different view and strive for perfection in a narrow area only to lose the overall excellence, magnificence, amazement, humour, contortion, information, education or plain delight that a photograph can bring when viewed through a wider, more receptive prism. Your photograph brings me great pleasure and has a quality. I am surprised that it evokes such derision, even from those who have qualities and weaknesses all of their own. Thanks for all the pleasure your photographs bring.

Well done, you have started on the most satisfying area of photography - animals and birds - that I have found. Unfortunately it's difficult to get close enough to take the best photographs without long lenses or hides (to sit in so the animals can't see you) or, preferably, both. Unfortunately that usually means high expenditure.

While you're saving up, however, see if you can find places where you can sit still, put out some seed and wait for the birds to come closer to you. It takes patience and the skill to keep the camera steady while operating at speeds that are fast enough to catch the animal but also ensuring enough light is let in to allow the picture to be usable. Lots of experimentation ahead of you.

What you are aiming for is a picture as clear, as steady and as close as that of the sprouts I saw in your gallery but you want the sprouts to be birds. A tall order perhaps but you can do it if you really want to.

Lots of people go to places where they keep owls and raptors tethered. Zoos and wildlife parks offer opportunities as well.

So, a good start but much work ahead of you. Best of luck. Enjoy.

I hope that helps.

.... i get the branches in focus not the bird.

Catherine

Believe me that happens to me a great deal as well. However, could it be that you always have your multi-focus points on? You can probably, if you wish, alter your camera to focus on a single point. Thank you for your kind comments.

Neil

I'm suggesting a closer crop as well. This cuts out all the black above the Swan. I have also tried to reduce the highlights to give more identity to more of the feathers. I love all animals, including swans, and can't think of any reasons to think of them as anything but a beautiful but difficult opportunity to take photographs. This one is a beauty and you've caught it very well.

It's a good composition but the sun on the water has taken over to a certain extent. I've uploaded a mod that attempts to regain some of the control. I selected those areas of the photograph - those under the bridge - I wanted to work on and reduced the highlights. I then used curves on the whole of the picture, gave it a little contrast boost and, hopefully, I've come a little closer to what you are looking for. Hope that helps. Neil

I thought a brighter sheen to the water and a sharper image of the duck might be an improvement but I didn't think ripples were needed. 'Layers' brightened the water and 'unsharp mask' brought the duck into slightly better focus, I thought. I saturated the colour very slightly as well. What do you think? I should add that it's a really nice picture that needs no alteration really.

Neil

A really nice picture. If you have Photoshop you can use the Quick Selection Tool to put a surround around the Charlie and the hole in the metal. Anything else you do will then be limited to what is within the surround you have made so, select Image: Shadows/Highlights and reduce the highlights.