Buff-breasted Sandpiper (first post)

[Evan Cain]

Hi everyone,

Decided to finally join BPN after being a long time lurker. I have learned much from this forum and hope to learn more in the future!

Please C&C the heck out of this image :S3:
If I am not correctly posting this image, or breaking posting rules (I have read over them), please let me know and I will try to fix it.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper photographed out of its range in Seaside, Oregon during September of 2012.
This shot was made with a Rebel Xti and 400mm f/5.6 lens at f/5.6, ISO 200, and 1/640.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/7935221792_d5b8bd68da_b.jpg

[Marina Scarr]

What a lovely first post, Evan, and thank you for joining. There are so many things to like about this image including the lovely background (BG), slight vegetation, raised foot and composition. Good job on getting nice and low. Exposure looks good. Had you photographed this in lower light it would have improved the appearance of your bird's eye with a catchlight.

[Richard Unsworth]

Nice first post Evan, and I think this is a pretty rare bird is it not.
Nice POV good and low, bird looks soft, perhaps a little more sharpening. Eye also looks a bit dead/dark, perhaps try adding a catchlight?
Nice raised foot pose, all things said a really good first post. Look forward to more!

[Daniel Cadieux]

Hi Eric, here's a big welcome to BPN!!! Glad you have decided to start posting :-)

Beautiful subject as a first post, one that is sought after by many. Great low angle, exellent BG, and I like the bits of vegetation at right. Light a bit harsh and high but the exposure was dealt with very well. I agree some sort of a catchlight or reflection in the eye would have been beneficial.

Hoing to see more from you...and remember to comment on others' works too...great for learning and to build a sense of community.....

[Shawn Zierman]

Excellent first post. Low angle is very good! A version of this image with some of the bottom oof fg trimmed off is worth considering. Subject movement is excellent, really nice leg/foot lift. The feather and sprig of vegetation to the right of the bird add some nice visual interest/balance. Beautiful juvenile buff breasted...

[Evan Cain]

Thanks everyone for you're comments, much appreciated.

Getting the catch light right was very tricky the three days that this sandpiper stuck around. Mainly because of the access to the bird during low tide coincided with near high-noon harsh light, and then when lower light began to show itself the tide had already creeped too far over the flats and the shorebird flocks moved off. I managed two shots that had acceptable catch lights, but the bird was too far off in those instances and required heavy cropping, which an older Rebel does not handle well :(. I tried adding a catch light after your suggestions, however, I couldn't seem to get an acceptable result that looked natural. Maybe one of you could give me a few points on adding catch lights?

Thanks again,
Evan