Cheeky Chicken

[jaydubyasee]

I took this shot whilst having a cuppa at Tintern Abbey today (don't ask why there is a chicken at a ruined abbey - I don't know).



About from focusing better on the eye which is incredibly difficult when the bird wouldn't stay still for long is there anything else I should/could do ?

[aadam_21]

I think you've got it pretty much nailed. Like you said, a little more sharpness around the eye would be nice, but I don't think it's absolutely necessary. I like the texture of the bird from face to feathers and you did a great job blurring the background. Nice shot!

[clockdoc]

Hi Jay,
I agree that the sharpness is very good considering the moving subject. I tried to find the EXIF data to see which f/stop was used but could not locate it. Of course the trade off in using a smaller aperture is that more of the background may be in focus. I think you did a nice job here. Was there any post production work as to sharpening or contrast adjustment?

[jaydubyasee]

Hi Clockdoc,

The only post-production was some cropping and level adjustments for the colour. As for EXIF data - it seems to get lost when I copy onto my computer which, having investigated, appears to be caused by Picasa. Now I know that I think I'll stop using it.

[clockdoc]

Thanks for the followup. Your comment about Picasa and EXIF data made me look into this a bit more. See if any of the details they provide makes sense with regard to preserving EXIF data. I am not familiar with PTP protocols or the other modes of communications mentioned in their reply. This is from Google's Picasa Q & A section:

"Q: When I import photos from my camera, I don't get any of of the EXIF data my camera stores!

If your camera uses the PTP photo protocol, Picasa's import feature does not preserve the EXIF data created by the camera. If you need to import your photos with the EXIF data preserved, some cameras also support another mode of communication, usually called "USB Mass Storage", or "Mass Storage". Consult your camera's user manual to find out if you can use this mode."

[jaydubyasee]

Thanks for that. I used to copy pictures to my PC manually via USB and had no problems. I'll revert back to that method in future.