Near-impossible Situation...

[Arthur Morris]

Pointing the lens down from the Green Cay boardwalk. Lots of bright distracting reflections and general clutter. Long focal length and subjects that rarely slowed down... Subjects in the shade one minute, in the sun the next.

This Common Moorhen chick was photographed with the Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens, the 2X II TC, and the EOS 1-Ds MIII (all 22 million pixels of it...) ISO 1600. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/250 sec. at f/9. Fill flash at -1 stop.

This was my very favorite of about 10 sharp ones. I like it. Do you?

Don't be shy. All comments welcome.

[Randy Stout]

Artie:

I like the overall colors, esp. the orange on the scalp of the chick. I do find the leaf projecting towards the bird from the lower right just a bit distracting. The upper right leaf in background doesn't seem to catch my eye in the same way. Shallow DOF works for me.

Randy

[Gary Sargent]

Artie: I agree with the previous comment. The "T" shaped leaf in the lower right is very distracting. Other than that, I like it.

[Blake Shadle]

Not too shabby ;) The shallow depth of field with razor sharp focus on your subject's head makes the image. 1000mm helps the perspective. The head angle works for with the similar diagonals throughout the image. I've gazed over the side of the Green Cay boardwalk before and it can get pretty ugly! Really nice work.

[Thonnaksar NOP]

What I like the most in this image is the lighting and the 5 leaves framing the head of the chick. However, I prefer to view the picture like this :

[Arthur Morris]

Hi Thonnaskar, I was beginning to think that you were nots with the flip-flopping but this one really looks better flopped! Thanks; who'd a thunkit???

[Fabs Forns]

I like the flipped version, the chick is a jewel :)

[James Salywoda]

Sweet One Artie!! The surrounding habitat really compliments this chick well .Interesting looking chick one I've never seen before so cute....

[Steve Canuel]

Artie,
I like the transitioning orange-red-yellow color (candy corn!) and how it stands out against the black. I also like the straggly gray strands looking like the beard and eyebrows of a wise old man (for some reason this makes me think of Hemmingway). The T-shaped leaf bugs me though. Reminds me of a pushy news reporter cramming a microphone into someone's face. Sorry if I lost you with all the technical jargon in my critique :)
Steve

[John Cooper]

Yes Art I have always found the Moorhen chicks very cute :) - you did well under the circumstances to get such a neat shot!!

[Dieter Schaefer]

In the original post, the leaf on the top right bothers me most - it draws my eye right out of the frame. I like the flipped version better as the same leaf doesn't bother me as much then. Cropping appears not to be an option - the moorhen would be too centered then.