Buff-rumped Thornbill

Buff-rumped Thornbill (Image ID 75813)
Photographed byLisa Brophy on Sun 23rd Aug, 2026 and uploaded on Wed 26th Aug, 2026 .
Resolution1800x1524
Viewed109
ID75813
CommentI love the light, the wings but the eye is not so sharp. Can this be "fixed" post production? How much does it matter if you don't crop too much? What did I do wrong when taking the shot? Thanks
EquipmentOM-1, 100-400 zoom lens
Exposure time : 1 / 2500
FNumber : 6.3
Focal Length : 400
ISO Speed Ratings : 640
LensModel : OLYMPUS M.100-400mm F5.0-6.3
Make : OM Digital Solutions
Model : OM-1
Software : Adobe Lightroom 9.5 (Macintosh)
LocationBald Hill Reserve Victoria, Victoria
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Simon Pelling2026-08-28 17:16:19Lisa

Yes, the problem with the image is that nothing is sharp in the bird. While it can be acceptable to have some blur in the wings, due to their rapid movement, the in-focus bits of the head and body should be preferably be sharp in a photo like this.

There are, of course, times when motion blur is acceptable, for example where the photographer has deliberately shot with a slow shutter speed to create and artistic effect. However, this is clearly not what you were trying to achieve, as you set the shutter at 1/2500s.

It is possible to mask some lack of sharpness by use of post-processing and by downsizing the image (which makes the problem less obvious). However, in my experience, this is really only possible when the sharpness is just a tiny bit soft.

In terms of what you did wrong, the main things that influence sharpness are going to be shutter speed, camera motion/shake (assuming of course, you have a decent lens, which I think you do), and possibly focus tracking. The perch is sharp, so camera movement doesn't appear to be the issue here. 1/2500 should be fine for larger birds with comparatively slower movements, but is probably not enough here where the movement is extremely fast. For tiny birds magnified by long telephoto lenses, something like 1/4000 would be better. I added focus tracking because even the best cameras with focus tracking might sometimes not be able to keep up with the bird, particularly in these sorts of take-off situations, meaning when the shutter is activated the bird is no longer properly focused.

Simon
ApertureFNumber COMPUTED f/6.3
Make IFD0 OM Digital Solutions
Model IFD0 OM-1
Software IFD0 Adobe Lightroom 9.5 (Macintosh)
ExposureTime EXIF 1/2500
FNumber EXIF F6.3
ExposureProgram EXIF Manual
ISOSpeedRatings EXIF 640
DateTimeOriginal EXIF 2026:08:23 10:18:02
ShutterSpeedValue (APEX 11.287712) EXIF 1/2500
ApertureValue (APEX 5.310704) EXIF F6
ExposureBiasValue EXIF -1.7
MaxApertureValue (APEX 4.64453125) EXIF F5
MeteringMode EXIF Pattern
LightSource EXIF unknown
Flash EXIF Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
FocalLength EXIF 400mm
ExposureMode EXIF Manual Exposure
WhiteBalance EXIF Automatic White Balance
LensModel EXIF OLYMPUS M.100-400mm F5.0-6.3
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