Long-billed Curlew

[Bill Dix]

D90
80-400 VR @ 400 mm.
ISO 400, 1/100s. @ F/5.6.
Matrix metering, 0 EV, Aperture priority, AF-A.

This is the bookend to the Marbled Godwit I posted two weeks ago. That was shot when the first rays of sun hit the beach; this one just as the sun was setting on the same day. I managed to get one quick shot as the light was fading, bracing against the car door with the camera set at a low shutter speed. Lower angle obviously would have been preferred. When I had the sense to adjust the ISO and started to move toward a better angle, he departed to points unknown.

This is about a 25% crop. I adjusted levels, slightly reduced saturation and contrast, dealt with a bright green blob of seaweed at his feet, and sharpened. I haven't known what to do with the lumpy BG.

C&C welcome and appreciated.

[Lance Peters]

Hi Bill - Sweet Sweet light and like the pose and HA. Agree with your self critique - a lower angle would have helped you deal with what was in the BG and a higher ISO would have got the SS up a little - as a general rule you want to be at 1 over your focal length, so here 1/400th. I break this rule all the time however - I know through experience that if the conditions are right I can get down to 1/60th at 800mm and get sharp results - all about knowing your equipment.

Might selectively sharpen the bird just a tad.

Good show ;)

[Gus Cobos]

Hi Bill,
all has been said...I like your composition, and image...you have that sweet golden light...looking forward to your next one...:cool:

[denise ippolito]

Hi Bill, Good self critique and I like the nice warm lighting and the pose. A bit more sharpening on the head and I would tone down the bit of highlights on the bill. Nice clean-up. And nice capture!

[Bill Dix]

Thank you all. It's interesting that when you blow this way up, the areas that look like wet highlights on the bill are actually jagged scratch marks where his bill scratched against oyster shells or something. Still, they are distracting and I'll remove them, and selectively sharpen. Thanks for the advice. (I also found it interesting that when you compare this guy with the Marbled Godwit, they are amazingly similar except for the bent bill and the fact, pointed out by Sibley, that the Curlew is a bit daintier in his movements.)