Critique & cropping advice needed please

[New to photography]

Just wondering what anyone would do with this picture to make it look better?





Camera: Canon EOS 500D
Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/1600)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 184 mm
ISO Speed: 640
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire

[RichardTaylor]

Good catch.

I would crop most of the right hand side, from near the sign, out.

[sinophilia]

I agree, the bird is moving to the left, so the right side is not needed. It should have been nice to have framed it in the bottom right corner of the picture (but of course that's not easy with a moving subject!).

Or you could simply make the photo vertical by cropping both right and left side.

[New to photography]

Thank you both so much, I knew this picture looked 'wrong' but I didn't really know what to do with it. I have done what you both suggested, I think I like the first picture best, but even the second looks much better than my original, so thanks again.

[Aleix]

The 2nd crop looks very nice for this picture, IMO.

[junglebear]

I agree, I think the 2nd is the much better crop, the first crop looks too squashed.

[RichardTaylor]

+1 on the second crop.

[LoveDSLR]

My two cents.

The 'No Fishing' sign is still competing for the viewer's attention. You may want to consider a different crop or pp around it. Sample for illustration only.

[PrimeTime]

I would add a little more room to the top if possible.

[New to photography]

Thank you all so much for sharing your thoughts on this, so interesting and I am learning alot.

Originally Posted by PrimeTime

I would add a little more room to the top if possible.

Yes, I agree that would make the picture look better, but it's not possible or at least I don't know how to do it - that was all the room that was available on the original picture.

Originally Posted by RichardTaylor

+1 on the second crop.

I changed the "exposure" to +1 is that what you meant? [I am working in flickr and don't have any other photoworkshop programs]

Originally Posted by LoveDSLR

The 'No Fishing' sign is still competing for the viewer's attention. You may want to consider a different crop or pp around it.

I cropped the sign out, what does "pp" mean?