Loon Up Close On A Hot Day

[Grady Weed]

Canon EOS-1D Mark II N, Shooting Date/Time 7/9/2008 17:00:57, Shutter Speed 1/50Sec. Av(Aperture Value) F8.0, Evaluative metering, Exposure Compensation -2/3, ISO 400, Lens: EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM, Focal Length 300.0 mm. Hand held from the kayak, about 10 feet away as I floated by. 50% of frame here, cropped for a 5x7.

We had temps of 100 today, extremely high humidity, dangerous levels of ozone and hot! This loon is cooling off, note the open beak. No babies yet. Do you think this is too close of a frame?

[Doug Brown]

The crop is a little snug, but it doesn't bother me. I find the BG and FG elements to be a little distracting. Great detail in the eye and open beak. I might apply some additional sharpening to the bird. Thanks for posting!

[carole wiley]

Love the eye detail and the texture in the head. As long as you are cropping so tight, why not try a bit tighter, maybe from the bottom and the left....I think it might be interesting.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Great closeup, I like the details especially in the eyes. I only wish the tip of the lower mandible were not covered by that leaf.

[Sharna Lee]

I agree with the comments thus far. I also wish that red thing wasn't sticking up out of your birds head.
I love the sharpness of the eye and the head though. The crop isn't a bad thing. I probably would have cropped about the same.
Good job for handheld in a moving boat.

Sharna

[Lance Peters]

love tight close ups - agree with all the above - especially the OOF leaf covering the lower bill.
:)

[James Salywoda]

A real beauty I love the open bill and nice details very cool.

[Grady Weed]

After a few days to think this one over, I am going to dump this image. The background and the head angle are just to much of a distraction for me to consider otherwise. Thanks for looking and commenting.