Birds on the beach

[cubs83]

Shot this one goofing around at the beach...critique welcomed. How's the quality of the picture looking on your computer as far as grain, colors, etc.?

[fx101]

The noise is a little high... too high an iso maybe? I like film grain... just not for wildlife: they require vivid smooth captures. Try noise ninja and then some sharpening to revive them a bit.

[GB1]

They're pretty good IMO, you captured some interesting poses.

I think it would be better w/o the grain, but they're not ruined with it being there. What ISO did you use? Or did you have to crop it so much that this is what you got? Note that you really shouldnt have to use your max ISO on shots like this if you use a very shallow DOF.

I like how you offset the birds in the frame. The DOF is good too, though there is some softness in the bottom bird that really shouldn't be there, and prevents it from rising above say a 6 or 7 out of 10.

The top shot is harder to critique: it has nice color, but the middle ground (both the center of the image and the distance) has a big gap there that seems odd. I am not sure if it's bad per se, as it shows the isolation of things on the beach. The lower bird is too uninterested in you, though the back bird is excellent as a supporting character. Just wish the main bird was more exciting.

Welcome to the forums btw!

GB