Purple Sanpiper

[allanrube]

I shot two sandpipers a few hours after high tide when there were plenty of wet rocks exposed. I started shooting with a 1.4 tc and a 600 lens on my D300s. Pretty soon the two sandpipers there got used to me, came closer, and I had to remove the tc. After a bit I had to keep backing up as they would sometimes come to within 3 or 4 feet.

The main problem I had was the direction of the light. To get the best light I would have had to wade into the surf. There were slippery rocks and the air temperature was around 20 so I did the best I could without getting too wet.

Shot with the tc, 1/1000 at 5.6 iso 250 0 EC.

84820

[Grace Scalzo]

Personally, Allan, I love the sidelight here, and the shadow that is produced from it, both on the bird and on the rock. The colors are lovely, the bird nice and sharp, and I find it's a very pleasing image.

[Arthur Morris]

I love the look and the light and the airy colors. The bird's breast looks very bright and a bit over-sharpened, sort of jangly.... Perfect head angle for the facing pose BTW.

Where?

[allanrube]

South end of Plum Island (by Newburyport, Mass.)

[Joerg Rockenberger]

The exposure, pose and light is great. Sharpening is at the edge as mentioned. I find the vertical rock face at the left a bit much. I wonder how it would look in portrait mode if you have enough space at the bottom...

JR

[Craig Brelsford]

Where?

That question popped into my mind as I read your otherwise highly illuminating account. The plump bird appeals to me muchly, as does the sunlight on the rocks. I'm not exactly sure what Artie means by "jangly" in reference to your sharpening. Before I read Artie's critique, the word that entered my mind looking at the sharpened bird was "dry."

[allanrube]

I tried a portrait crop but like this one better. For me, showing rocks is part of a sandpiper photograph. I also liked the angle and intersection between the rocks on the left and the rock it is standing on.

I did take off a round of sharpening and tones down the brightest whites a tiny bit.

I will post one more later - one with a "clear" background.