Common Loon at First Light

[Doug Brown]

I got lucky during my last trip to Southern California. Rain and overcast skies for 3 consecutive days. Except for about 10 minutes one morning. And guess who showed up for a fly-over?

http://birdwhisperer.smugmug.com/photos/477567085_o92hF-XL.jpg

Canon 50D, 400mm, f/5.6, 1/5000, ISO 800, no flash, hand held

[Grady Weed]

I have never been able to catch a loon in flight or landing in my 10 years of photographing them. And you got the sweet light too. Good wing details and eye contact. Both wings have a nice arch to them which lend themselves for a nice line from top of wing to the beak.

[Doug Brown]

It's funny because I had never photographed a Common Loon prior to this encounter. I was at Bolsa Chica with a guy who has been photographing there most every day for 10 years, and it was his first good look at a Loon in flight.

[Philip Pietri]

Your subject is bathing in some beautiful light here. Nice and sharp with lots of detail. The colors in the background are sweet. I'm usually not too fond of hard profiles for flight shots but it certainly is a nice image.

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

Very nice bird and wing position as mentioned above. That light is really sweet. Great job as usual.

[Alfred Forns]

You got your chance and nailed it !!! Excellent image Doug !!! ... even got a catch light !!!

[Randy Stout]

Doug:

A charming image. Like Grady, I have many thousands of loon images. I do have a handful of flight images, but nothing close to this quality. The light is wonderful.

Congrats on this one!

Randy

[Stephen Stephen]

Doug, beautiful wing position, sweet light and catchlight. Congratulations

[Ramon M. Casares]

Just terrific! Lovely light, pose, detail, BG, comp, all is great but I would try some more USM. Congratulaitons!!

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Doug,
They fly????:p Sweet light! I'm ok with parallel.......and great wing position to boot! Very nicely done!

[Daniel Cadieux]

Well, that's one way of taking advantage of a one time opportunity!! Very well done Doug, a beauty...

[Juan Aragonés]

Doug this one is just terrific. Superb light, sharpness and pose and what a BG!!! Oh, man, this is really good!