I can almost fly!

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I thought I should give you a break from all the puffins and razorbills. :) I photographed these skimmers on Long Island a few days ago. Getting a clean view is quite difficult since the skimmers with chicks moved back to more protected areas, I can't blame them.

http://www.pbase.com/axelhi/image/115065294/original.jpg

1D3, 500f4, 1.4x, 1/640s, f/8, EC +0.33, ISO 400

[Nancy A Elwood]

Axel this is so nice! The eye contact with both the parent and chick and both so sharp, well done! I wish for a little less BG greenery, but the chick is nicely centered in the middle of the foreground greens. Big congrads.

[Ramon M. Casares]

I like the OOF plant in the BG, a tad more OOF would've been great but still, nice light, poses, DOF covers both subjects very well and nie exppsure and colors to.
Congratulations!

[Phil Ertel]

I like the composition. The inclusion of the environment/habitat help provide me with a sense of scale and place. Very interesting and pleasing image. Thanks for sharing.

[Arthur Morris]

Excellent job of shooting down the open slot. Ditto all of the positives above. The orange at the base of the bill might benefit from being toned down a bit as it looks a bit like enamel.

[Brian Barcelos]

Very nice Axel, all critiques pretty much summed it up. I like the sentinel look of the parent over the baby. Also like the placement of all the greens.

Brian

[denise ippolito]

Axel, I like the way the grass acts as a natural backdrop to this image. Nice eye contact and details. Well done.

[Judd Patterson]

Axel, this is beautiful. I really like the background plants. I think the overall composition might look a little nicer if you cropped so that there was less foreground sand. In my mind at least, that seems to give a little more attention to the birds and the nice background you have here. Really cool!

[Ilija Dukovski]

Ah, that eye contact as soon as you open the image, it hits you.
Great!

[christopher galeski]

nice shot,bueatiful colors and light,and nice comp.thanks.

[Kiran Poonacha]

Beautiful one Axel.. loved the OOF grass and the placement of the subject between the two plants in front.. well made image congrats...

[Ryan Lambert]

Super image Axel, you have managed to isolate the subjects well from the bg, having said that I am just not sure that the grass doesn't distract a tad, excellent image none the less...congrats

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

THis has that cute factor Axel. :) Love the framing by the grass and you placed the little one perfectly between the mid ground plants. THanks for sharing.

[Stu Bowie]

The chick is nicely framed between the two plants, and I like the low angle too. Both well exposed, and both with good eye contact. Well captured Axel.