Peacock

[Kawarthabob]

I'd have to agree with WD. The thing to do would be to focus on the head and eyes using one focal point or shoot in manual mode. otherwise good shot!

[Mad Aussie]

WD ... Several of us said focusing on the eye was the key to making the photo better.

The advice given here is sometimes to fix the photo in question (hence post precessing suggestions) or how to improve the photo when taken.
In this case the thread author asked what could be done about this photo now, suggesting post processing advice.
There are many, many threads here that go into a lot of depth about how to have made the photo better in the first place. Sometimes this is forthcoming without being asked for (which is fine in the Critiques section of course) and sometimes it's not.
Sometimes it's something we miss until something like yourself notices it and makes mention. That's how this works. Lots of opinion for the thread author to consider.

Without question, learning to use the auto focus points (selecting 1 only and having it on the eye) would be a good start to not having to sharpen later.

What do you think sharpening software is for if not to sharpen slightly blurring, out of focus pixels I wonder?
I know I can confidently sharpen that eye, selectively if I want, in pp.

The majenta? Well ... perhaps that's close to the colour of the birds feathers at this stage of it's cycle? I have no idea. I think the colour changes made in pp have lifted it too far though.

[Wicked Dark]

I beg to differ Mad Aussie. An out of focus image with sharpening tools applied is only going to crisp blurred pixel edges. It isn't going to magically bring an image into focus.

[Marko]

I dunno WD, it's a depends answer imo. For this image, I think extra sharpening could help. If the sharpening point (eye) was blurrier, then I agree with you for sure.

Just want to say one thing and this is a coincidence perhaps. But just yesterday I bought Frans Lanting's Book Eye to Eye. He's very well known. There is an image of a peacock that is very very close to this image except for one thing this image is sharper and has richer colour.

Although for me personally, I always strive for a tack sharp eye, not getting it but getting close and having other parts of the image that still rock....that still makes the image worth posting or printing - IMO.

At the end of the day, very few images make it to what i would call perfection, something is just off...if some basic PP can fix without spoiling the image...that's good no? Keep in mind, before digital (film) sharpening was a whole other ballgame...we are sharpening a jillion times more than with film because the technology is very different

[lhosphotography]

Wow! I'm blown away with the responce this image has received, thank you all very much for all of your comments.
I agree that the eye should be sharper, I am going to try and do this in photoshop this evening, I shall post the results when I have done it.
Also I do agree with WD I should have used a single Af point and focused more on the eye, But in my defence it was one of those situations I didnt have time to think I was shaking when I pressed the shutter all of what I had learnt went straight out the window!! realy I would have liked to have been able to use my tripod and shutter release to get a real tack sharp image but that wasnt possible.
Thankyou again everybody!!

[Mad Aussie]

WD is right in terms of sharpening not 'fixing' the out of focus pixels. But WD is also a little narrow minded on this point (in my opinion) in terms that sharpening does improve the image in many cases.

[Mad Aussie]

Wow! I'm blown away with the responce this image has received,

It's been a good image for this. Debate of this kind really helps us all to look at things from other perspectives.

[Wicked Dark]

oh MA, I'm not narrow minded, really, I mess in Lightroom a ton. : ) What I'm inadequately saying is that I feel people should learn to master their camera first and their processng software second. If they produced better images from the first, they would have less need for the second. I'd rather have someone walk away with information on how to make a better picture than concentrate on ways to mask their mistakes in software.

sorry to derail your thread Ihosphotography.