Least Sandpiper (juvenile)

[Brian Barcelos]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2545/3850149879_8a1b3b4201_o.jpg

Sorry for not being able to participate lately. I've been having withdrawal systems ever since I got called back to work!:D Out of the house an average of 15 hrs a day.:( Finally had a few spare hours to go down to the shore to do what I love. I must have seen at least 300-400 shore birds in all, just wished I could have had more time with them.
That's a Semipalmated Sandpiper (OOF) behind the Least. Not sure if people find it distracting but I like his ghostly appearance over his little buddy.
If I don't work overtime tomorrow I will be commenting on others photos as I miss doing that. Thanks for looking and all C/C appreciated.

Brian

Canon EOS 20D
Manual Exposure
Tv 1/500
Av 6.3
Evaluative Metering
ISO 400
Tamron 200- 500mm@500mm

[Ilija Dukovski]

Hey Brian, incredible coincidence...I like the your composition here, the birds are nicely aligned.
I love the visible feet on the Least, hard to get them so good. Perhaps I'd get rid of the stick on the left,
but good as is too. Congrats!

[Don Lacy]

I really like the pastel colors and soft lighting, but I find my eye being drawn away from the subject by the OOF bird behind it.

[Harshad Barve]

Nice expo, compo and details , I am loving that GHOST behind
TFS

[Leo Berzins]

I like the pose and the soft, even light but I wish the rear bird was further left rather than directly behind the main subject.
I hope things settle down for you soon, Brian. 15 hours is way too much of the day to spend on anything other than nature photography.;)

[Kiran Poonacha]

Welcome back Buddy, the working blues for a nature photographer is a sure put off to our moods. Loved the natural pose and angle. I am a little confused about the OOF bird Bhai...

[Arthur Morris]

Love the leastie beastie and its raised foot and long toes. The juxtaposition works well for me but a bit more to the left with the semi might be a bit better. Ilija, I am pretty sure that this is no coincidence.... If you keep your eyes open for pleasing juxtapositions you can make some great images (like this one).

[Stu Bowie]

I feel the OOF sandpiper is perfectly placed to create a "shadow". The beak positions gives it away slightly, but hey, thats minor. Great feeding posture, and love the pastel colours throughout.

[Brian Barcelos]

I appreciate all the comments. This forum is a great teaching aid and a huge motivator!

Artie, this wasn't a coincidence as I took quite a few similar shots when the opportunity presented itself but the coincidence I think Ilija was talking about was that we both posted up Leasts at almost the same moment.:p

Supposedly all the overtime at my job will be slowing down this week which means more time on here but less spending money for the toys " 500mm F/4 & 50D" that I crave.;) Might settle with a 400mm F/5.6 & used 40D as even that would be a nice replacement for my aging 20D.:D

Brian

[Arthur Morris]

Brian,

re:

I appreciate all the comments. This forum is a great teaching aid and a huge motivator!

Thanks for your kind words and your membership support.

Artie, this wasn't a coincidence as I took quite a few similar shots when the opportunity presented itself...

I knew that....

but the coincidence I think Ilija was talking about was that we both posted up Leasts at almost the same moment.:p

Not sure of that. Ilija, what did you mean?

Supposedly all the overtime at my job will be slowing down this week which means more time on here but less spending money for the toys " 500mm F/4 & 50D" that I crave.;) Might settle with a 400mm F/5.6 & used 40D as even that would be a nice replacement for my aging 20D.:D

Hold out for a 50D. It is quite a loverly camera with great AF.

Brian[/quote]

[Ilija Dukovski]

but the coincidence I think Ilija was talking about was that we both posted up Leasts at almost the same moment.:p

Not sure of that. Ilija, what did you mean?


Brian[/quote]

Sorry for late response, I didn't realize this discussion in on, until now...
Artie, I meant the coincidence of posting the same bird at the same time.
It is my fault for the confusion, I was addressing Brian with his comment on my post
in mind, without realizing that folks who did not visit my post will have no idea
what I'm talking about or get a wrong idea, sorry about that.

In any case I strongly agree that paying close attention to the movement of the birds
in this situation can result in very nice and complex composition as in Brian's image.
I don't think I'm there yet but... any day now:)

Cheers,

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks for the clarification Ilija. The funny thing about juxtaposition images is that I refused to even try for them for many, many years, preferring to have only a single subject in the frame. That all changed with an impala image that I made in Africa about 5-6 years ago. now I am always on the lookout for such situations but they are hard to pull off and the perfect situation often exists for only a single second....