Saying Good Bye...

[DustinFinn]

My last 6 months have been pretty busy with the new addition (http://www.dustinandkatie.com/blog/2009_Images/2009.06.08_115404_Abby_IMG_5201.jpg) to the family as well as some of my own photography projects (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dustinfinn/3628270488/) taking off and becoming very rewarding...

So with that, I haven't gotten to spend much time with the skimmers and the Terns and Oyster Catchers down at Nickerson Beach... Certainly not as much as I wanted to...

With that, last week afforded me the opportunity to abandon my 9-5 early enough to make the trek to Nickerson and to my reward of hopefulness, not only were the birds still there, but some friends were too...

So it was a really nice evening...

http://www.dustinfinn.com/gallery/Posted_2009/2009.08.27_192827_Nickerson_IMG_1270_web_850.jpg

Canon 40D, 300mm/2.8/IS + 1.4x TC
F/4, 1/1600th, ISO-800, +2/3

I was not prepared for this type of image and this image spent some time in LR to adjust exposure and then I added the grain and darkened corners in PS...

I ALWAYS shoot the big lift off when these birds decide to circle the beach as a colony, but I never had one that I liked...

This one I liked enough to work on it...

What are your thoughts?

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I like the light and mood. I only find the 'lump' of birds southeast of the center a bit distracting. The added grain and vignetting don't really work for me.

[Joe Senzatimore]

I think it has a feel to it that is brought out by the grain and dark sky. I like it.

[Manos Papadomanolakis]

nice light/mood!

[Connie Mier]

I'm not really liking the graininess and it just seems too dark to me. I like to see the birds coming toward the camera too, but you did capture the massiveness of the bird group very well and I like how you filled the frame with them.

[Grace Scalzo]

I like the concept alot, not the darkened corners tho. To me they make an expansive image feel boxed in and I need the feeling of range (openness) here. (Hope I explained this well.....)

[Aidan Briggs]

I sorta like the vignette, but would never add grain to am image if I didn't have to. I might sharpen up the birds a bit more too. Looks to me almost like a film image.