Practice time

[Grace Scalzo]

At the end of the season, I always hope for some tidal pools at Nickerson. Got lucky a few weeks ago. Here's a wide view of the action. This looks much more dynamic when viewed larger, but you get the idea. I did a tiny bit of cleanup of some highlights, but not too much as the elements are important.

1/2500, f8, iso800
Canon 5Dmk3, 500 f4 + lowered tripod

[Marina Scarr]

All elements came together nicely here, Grace. My favorites are the gentle wave and the fledgling's "rudder" and it's juxtaposition with its wings. You can see his beak so clearly. The positioning of the other juvi skimmer works well as do the skimmers and dunes in the BG.

[Shawn Zierman]

The composition is perfect and I'd bet viewed really large would be amazing.
This is the type of image that delves deep into the subject matter. Either one
would have to be really lucky to create it, or have intimate knowledge of the
subject matter....obviously the latter in your case.

[Arthur Morris]

I like it. Wish the young bird in the front had been flying flat. I am however, confused. Was that a huge puddle or were you on a surfboard???

[Grace Scalzo]

Thank you, Marina, Shawn, and Artie. I appreciate your kind words. Artie, why do you wish the bird was flying flat? I like the angle of the bird,and the position of the tail, as I felt it gives an interesting juxtaposition to the flat colony in the bg and the flatness of the puddle line. Would love to hear your thoughts. It was a very large puddle, just on the eastern edge of the West colony. I was lying on the edge of it, nearly in it, and not in waders. What a mess.

[Arthur Morris]

YAW. To eliminate the merge of the bird's left wing with the birds in the background; I feel that the image would be overall stronger. I never saw so much as a half-inch deep puddle in all my visits this year....

[Grace Scalzo]

Oh, I see. I'll look through the series and see if one like you suggest might have been overlooked. This was taken on 9/16, I got lucky because there were not too many puddles this year.