Black Skimmer

[Herb Houghton]

This one is from Forsythe NWR. Mk IV, 800 f5.6, iso 640, f8, 1/1600 shot in manual mode from tripod/wimberley in between swatting the green flies. :bg3: Slight crop from full frame.

[Randy Stout]

Herb:
I like the angle in the frame,exposure, very sharp (right on the edge of too much for me). There is a very faint sharpening halo around the primaries on back wing.

If you have it, I would like just a sliver more room at the top.

Cheers

Randy

[gail bisson]

I like this image. Agree with Randy re:a bit too sharp. I like the visible water trail and the angle of flight of the bird.
Gail

[Daniel Cadieux]

Interesting vantage point with this guy quite lower than you...I like it. A bit aggressive with the sharpening as mentioned before, and I agree with more room above.

[Arthur Morris]

Far upper wing detail superb. Wish for the near wing to be a bit higher. These can work well with 2/3 of the frame being the wake behind the bird. EXP and SH superb. If it were mine I would lose some of the specular highlights on the bill (and the corresponding ones in the REFL).

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

Great detail on the wings, I like the water trail as well.

[Herb Houghton]

Thanks for all of the comments. There is no more room on top, unless canvas is added. As far as sharpening, none in the RAW conversion and only 70, .3, 0 in USM. Is it possible the image requires none or little sharpening ? I used Artie's suggested numbers for USM.

[Arthur Morris]

For 1204 wide jpegs my generic sharpening via action is 175/.3 in Unsharp Mask. It would seem impossible to over sharpen this jpeg at your numbers. The image looks fine to me.