Macquarie Shag, a sub-Antarctic 'special'

[Ian Wilson]

Macquarie Shag, Phalacrocorax purpurascens - the species name refers to the purplish sheen on the plumage, especially around the head and neck. The bird is endemic to Macquarie Is, Australian sub-Antarctic, home to about 760 pairs. It is a poor flyer with small wings, heavy bones and water-permeable plumage, the cause of the 'crunchy' look on the front of the bird in this image (not over-sharpening). The WB and brightness were adjusted on the white wing patch. The dark background is kelp-covered rocks at low tide which I have blurred a little to help isolate the bird and I extended the canvas on the RHS.
Canon 5DIII + 300 mm f/2.8L II + 2x III extender, hand-held.
Av priority with spot metering, f/7.1, 1/2000 sec, ISO 800.
Processed in DPP: adjust WB, brightness (-0.3), shad/h'lights, saturation, USM, RAW-TIFF. PS Elements: select bird, adjust levels on bird, background NR and blur, extend canvas RHS, crop, downsize TIFF-JPEG, USM.
Thanks for looking, critical feedback welcome.

[Dan Brown]

Very nice, Ian! I really like the flight toward you and the inclusion of just enough detail in the bg to give a sense of your position near or on shore. Good detail in the lights and darks also.

[David Salem]

Very nice IF shot Ian. Nice flight pose and wing position. Good job on the exposure control also. Well done

[christopher galeski]

nice image,like the flight pose and good detail.

[Binu John]

Great shot, Ian! You nailed the exposure and focus! Well done!

[William Dickson]

Well done Ian. Fantastic shot :S3:

[Pamela de Zilva]

Excellent image Ian. The detail in the lights and darks are flawless. Pamela

[Ian Wilson]

Thanks everyone for your interest in this image and kind feedback. Regards, Ian.