Piping Plover

[Mike Milicia]

EOS-1D Mk IV, 500mm f/4 + 1,4xII, 1/200, f/8, ISO 1600
Fill Flash at - 2

Rotated, added canvas to fill in edges, then cropped for composition ending up with just a few more pixels than Full Frame.

Removed flash catchlight, toned down BG just a bit.

Photographed yesterday evening in dark overcast conditions on Plum Island in MA.

Looking forward to your comments and critiques ! <!-- / message -->

[Fabs Forns]

Very nice pose and pristine presentation, Mike. Only thing missing for me would be a catch light, why did you take it out? They tend to give life to the eye.
Detail on the feathers superb.
I'm enjoying your series.

[Mike Milicia]

Fabs, thanks for the feedback!

Catch light was just a bright tiny pinpoint and looked fake to me so I removed it. The top half of the eye was lit up a bit by the overcast sky so I lightened that a bit more to try and bring some life to the eye. Will go back and take another look at leaving the catch light.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Angle, sharpness and eye contact look very good. The eye looks good to me as presented darkening the pupil might be an option. I would tone down the whites on the head and neck a bit.

[Colin Knight]

Another vote for the catchlight. I love that low angle!

[Arthur Morris]

Superb pose, EXP, and SH. I would have preferred a clean sand beach without the little sand piles.

Do you know if this is a worn adult male?

[Mike Milicia]

I would have preferred a clean sand beach without the little sand piles.
Me too!
I did try to move a bit so the piles would not be directly behind the legs.
Guess a bit more PS work might be in order. :)


Do you know if this is a worn adult male?No, I don't know. This bird was "watching over" a chick but I understand both parents are involved with that.