Thank you for your suggestions and help it does seem that you just have to shoot in the right light if you want the best results. However although I was not into rescuing this particular shot I have had a go at pushing it a bit and this is what I came up with -

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v173/Thordell/Wildlife/Duck-3.jpg[/IMG]

Did not want to change the colour of the bird too much so have Photoshoped only lightly, started with about 35% Softlight, and some Burn on shadow and Dodge, eye did not bother with sharpening as I am not printing it. Much happier with the duck but not with the grass but my fault and I could deal with that if I thought the image worth it.

Yes, you can, but it is disconcerting to take shots when the view I have in the view finder shows me an out of focus image. Mind you it is no easier with the manual as you are not really focusing you are trying to find the area the comes in the best. Wonder if you can use the monitor screen if you can I may try that although it does not come naturally to me. I have no problem with the K20 and am therefore disappointed in my K7 and will never buy blind again will always try before I buy.

My Broadband is impossibly slow anyway so slow, in fact, it sometimes stops all together, so not in a position to comment on this site that seems to me as slow or no go as all the others.

Bit frustrated here, can you tell.

Sorry Pentaxanne, think I have misled you (hope that is the correct number of S's)

I am not worried about rescuing the shot I am happy to bin it but I wondered how I could avoid taking flat shots in the future. Wondered if it was because I used the lens at the wide end or if I should have used a higher f number.

Realise that better light would have solved the problem but you can't always choose the time you take a shot and it would be nice to have a idea as to how I could improve the shot in such conditions.

Agree pentaxanne, the composition is pants was just clicking around with a new compact camera (X90) and although I am pleased with the results in general I wondered if there was something I could have done to improve the rather flat result.

Thank your it is good to get at response, I use CS3 - did try about 30% soft light that improved the 'feel' of the image but changed the colour tones.

It is not that I wish to save this image but I would like to learn how to overcome the problem. As suggested it was overcast and although bright the overall light was grey.

Took a few snaps yesterday with my new Compact and the results seem a bit flat - think this is a photographer problem and would like help to understand why. The shot is at about 20mm at 4.5 - I know it would be better if I had bent the knees but it is the flatness not the composition that is worrying me. If you can help many thanks,

Original
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v173/Thordell/Wildlife/Duck-1.jpg[/IMG]

Late as usual Hi there and welcome

Have to admit that when I first had the K20 I kept going back to the ISD and then bought the K7 at the turn of the year and I am still not happy with it and use the K20 more often than not. It is the view finder that I find hard to get used to, tried magnifier but it is still difficult to see if you are in focus so I can only use the K7 to take AF shots as I have no idea if it is in focus from the view finder screen. The spec is the same as the K20 but that is the end of the similarity.

Oh, by the way, none are for sale.

Hyram, thank you for the samples, they are good and I love the colour, lets hope I can achieve results as good.