Common Tern with dinner

[Isaac Grant]

Photographed this Common Tern while it was bringing food back to its hungry fledgling. From this weekend at Great Kills Park on Staten Island. There is a spot at the tip of the park where the terns and shorebirds typically congregate as it is near a jetty and the beach goers don't go there. I only had a few hours to get in some photography so went near my home to a spot where I knew there would be some action. There were many fledglings on the beach and the parents were busy coming and going from all directions with food. I wish the near wing was just a touch more raised but I guess that is how nature photography goes. Have to get back there again and try for that perfect angle. Birds were doing close flybys so there was excellent isolation against the background. I set up where I could get the dune grass below and the ocean above them for a nice and varied background. At such a close range it was very difficult to lock on to them but this is mostly what I was after. Maybe for that extra split second of wing beat position and ability to lock on faster I need the mark 2?

Canon 1DX and Canon 500 f4 ii + 1.4x iii. ISO 400, F6.3, SS 1/2500. Hand held. Processed with DPP 4.6.3 and PS.

[David Salem]

This looks great Isaac!! I was just shooting Terns last night with fellow BPNers Glenn Conlan, Doug Brown and Tim Foltz. We had lots of fun but the birds weren't as cooperative as they were a few weeks ago. We got some nice passes but we would have been stoked to get a Tern with a fish this big, and the fish has a great pose too. The couple shadows don't bother me much either.
Well done

[arash_hazeghi]

love the tiered BG, pose and the fish.super sharp with excellent details

TFS

[Tim Foltz]

Isaac, Nice tern with prey, sweet BG, catchlight and sharpness. Looks like pretty much the same is going on here on the west coast but different terns.

-Tim

[sasan nejadi]

very nice flight shot , Action ,BG,eye contact and iQ is excellent ..... TFS

[Mike Hitchen]

Well captured, Isaac! And getting the full view of the fish is real bonus.

[Bill Dix]

Good one, Isaac. I agree about the near wing being only near-perfect; but the fish, background and sharpness all great.

[John Mack]

Nice how we can see the fish's eye nice and sharp. Like the two toned background as well.

[Alex Becker]

Nice one Isaac -- love the BG fish and detail. I see what you mean about the wing but it doesn't particularly bother me. Love that we can see the fish's eye. TFS

[Doug Brown]

Love the subject, the fish, and the gorgeous BG. Detail is excellent, but whites look a little gray on my monitor.

[Isaac Grant]

Thanks Doug. I agree that the whites of the underwing are a touch gray. I assume you know that the belly of these birds is quite gray when they are in breeding plumage. Do you have a good technique to lessen the gray? Typically I would in selective color lower the black in the whites a bit. Also maybe dodge the whites at a low opacity.

[gail bisson]

What a great BG.
The fish with the eye in the viewer's direction makes this shot special.
Before I read Doug's comment, I too, thought the whites were a bit gray. I would deal with that exactly as you have said in pane #11.
Very nice ! I am OK with the near wing position.
Gail

[Mike Poole]

Very nice flight shot Isaac, the angle is perfect and the expression on the fish puts the cherry on the cake.

I agree with the comments about the whites, sounds like you've already got a good plan to tweak it.

Mike

[Isaac Grant]

The whites on this tern were interesting. I went back and forth on it. As you can see the whites on the tail and on the line of white below the mask are nice and white. As are the leading edge of the wings. The belly is gray as it is supposed to be. But the underwing is a bit of an enigma. Seems grayer than it should but as the other whites are spot on I left it. I had the exposure correct so did very little to this bird in post. I guess I could go back and selectively whiten the underwings a bit. Thanks again for all the valuable feedback.