Trumpeter Swan in morning fog

[Mike Lentz]

About five weeks ago I posted a similar shot from this magical moment on the Mississippi River. (The other image was of a different wing spread) Anytime it gets to below zero in Minnesota or elsewhere I tend to look for open water so I can get the extra element of steam in an image. Sometimes it works, othertimes it doesn't. It was approx -16 when this image was taken.

http://www.pbase.com/mike_lentz/image/108578130.jpg

Nikon D300 ~ Nikkor 300mm F/2.8 with Nikon 1.4x TC ~ Gitzo tripod
ISO 400 ~ F/4 ~ 1/4000 sec ~ + 2/3 EV

[Steve Maxson]

Ahh, there you go showing off again, Mike. :) :) This is a wonderful moody image with nice action captured. I like the low shooting angle as well as the low light angle. I'll bet you froze your --- off getting these images!

[Ramon M. Casares]

Lovely, great mood, great pose, light, exposure control, love the fog and the comp, really almost magical. Congratulations!

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I like the angle, mood and pose, and only find the bird a bit too centered.

[David Thomasson]

Beautifully done! My only suggestion is to brighten the head and upper neck a bit to increase contrast between that part of the bird and the darker background.

http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/1511/headfix.gif

[Alfred Forns]

Sweet capture Mike !!! .... sixteen below :eek: some serious cold temp !!

Love captured mood !! Not sure if you have more room but a little to the right would be fine. Big Congrats on this one !!! .... like David's suggestion !!!

[Brian Wong]

Hi Mike!

Beautiful image that has a lot of character and mood. Maybe another option is to show more of the background mood?

[Phil Ertel]

Very nice! Great mood and pose. I thinking along the same lines as Brian; if you have it including more or the steam might be interesting. However, I do think it is nice as presented.

[Grady Weed]

Nothing like white on white. The steam or mist is a bonus. I'm really jealous now. The wing flap pose and looking righ tat you is nice. I like your crop and the head shadow in the wing is nice, to me anyway.

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Great pose and it looks almost like I am watching something from a dream. :) I like David's suggestion re: lightening the neck area.

[Stu Bowie]

Excellent control on the whites, and you have exposed this perfectly. I like the pastel colours in the BG. Congrats Mike, a super image.

[Jan Bleil]

Hi Mike,
what a great picture and what difficult conditions!
A excellent shot.