Breakfast at the Beach

[Arthur Morris]

The young one was perfectly positioned to accept food from the adult but was down in a tire track so I lost the bottom of the little one's bill (otherwise perfect).

Had to settle for this one as best of the series. Nickerson Beach.

Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaulative metering +2/3 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/9..

Don't be shy; all comments welcome.

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Artie, I like this one a lot. terrific moment, whites, blacks and reds look very good. Nice texture in the sand and very good depth of field. Also liked the angles of both birds...which always the tough one in multiple-birds shots.

[Karl Egressy]

Excellent family portrait, Artie.
Perect exposure, great sorrounding and I like the way the little cutie lines up with the parent.

[Daniel Cadieux]

I'd love to settle for a "parent and chick" image like this. I love the adult's pose as if it is looking over the young learning one's shoulder. I imagine you wish for more separation between the feet and that foreground diagonal line...

[Tom Rambaut]

The HA of the parent makes this image for me - watching every little step of the young one.

[Chad Caswell]

Great moment captured Artie.. Only thing I might add is a catchlight in the chicks eye.

[gail bisson]

Artie,
If I had seen this picture of your oystercatcher before I posted my picture I might have been too intimidated to post mine!!:e3
I love that the birds are parallel to one another. I like that I can see all of mom's belly. The food in the chicks' mouth is a bonus. The light looks like it was fairly harsh but you handled the exposure well and the blacks and white are great. I also like the little bit of red/orange beak on the chick.
It is too bad that the tire rut was there but this is real life!!
I am quickly learning that, no matter how great the picture is, there is always a " should have, could have and if only" postscript!
Gail

[Craig Brelsford]

Lovely shot, Artie. Blacks, whites and reds are all alive, and your f/9 got almost the entire parent in focus.

[Troy Lim]

Love them being parallel. Very nice.

[Neil Nourse]

Great shot Artie!!
It's all there, Exposure,HA,DOF,Sharpness, and most important a magical moment..

It sure was great shooting with you,and I hope to do it again soon :S3:

TFS Neil

[Arthur Morris]

Many thanks all. Neil: ditto. The light was 7:05 am light on a clear day about 90 minutes after sunrise. I may go back and expand the catchlight so thanks Chad.

And yes, we were lucky with a perfect juxtaposition. Right after this frame momma looked away.

[Michael Wolf]

Sweet image and a great comp. I do like the perfect juxtaposition as you noted!