Sharpness/Light

[Elemobe]

Here is one of my first pictures using my new Manfrotto tripod, which I am really pleased with.

The weather today is grey, wet and very windy, so couldn't go out to take photos. Here is a picture of one of the many pheasants in our garden. I took this through the bedroom window.

It has been cropped slightly and clarity raised. Shutter speed 1/8 F4.5 at 200mm. The ISO was at 100. I think I should have used a higher ISO and then I could have used a faster shutter speed to improve the sharpness of the pheasant. However, the tree doesn't move much and that is also slightly soft. Maybe I just wasn't completely focused?

Any opinions on the above would be appreciated.
http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1ijYAJs2pNnmvSqZA9sGI54dOBRcbR0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1ijYAJs2pNnmvSqZA9sGI54dOBRcbR0)

[lexcell]

Excellent job Linda! If both the pheasant and the tree are soft, it could be a couple of things...
-You "shook" the camera when you depressed the shutter...this can happen even on a tripod.
-Shooting through a window degrades the image.
-The focus point was not on the pheasant or the tree but somewhere else.

You can eliminate the last one if you know where you were focusing.

You can try a similar shot shooting from outside rather than through the window.

Keep working on your technique so that you do not cause camera movement when you depress the shutter. Gently roll your finger over the shutter rather than push it when shooting.

[bayhli]

Linda,

I invested in a shutter release cable and found it very useful. They are very inexpensive, especially on Ebay where I shop. :) The more you zoom, the more any slight motion is noticeable.

Beautiful pheasant!

[Elemobe]

Thanks. All points very helpful.

I will definitely try the finger rolling technique, could be useful. I was also thinking about the point of focus last night whilst going to sleep (what obsession!). The bit I cropped was a wooden border around the tree (which strangely I hadn't really noticed before) and I am wondering if that was where it was focused.

I should have said, I did the shot through the window, but the window was open. It was raining, so another factor?

I was thinking of getting a shutter release cable, so that will be my next purchase.

Of course, I had forgotten, the closer one zooms, the more shake is apparent.

I found this a very useful exercise. Good to practice on shots that are not important.

Thanks for the help.

[Chuck S.]

You said it was windy. That could be a contributing factor. Also, when you're shooting out an open window, the warm air coming out of the house can cause 'heat waves' that can soften or even distort the photo.

Beautiful pheasant in any case!:)

[Elemobe]

You said it was windy. That could be a contributing factor. Also, when you're shooting out an open window, the warm air coming out of the house can cause 'heat waves' that can soften or even distort the photo.

Wow, that certainly didn't occur to me! Thanks for that one.

The pheasants are always around and as they are the most intelligent of birds, they will actually hang around for a photo shoot. I hope to post a similar photo, but much sharper, sometime soon:)