Juvie Roseate Tern Double Overhead Wingstretch

This image was created at 4:18p at Great Gull Island Project, NY just as the sun peeked out from behind the clouds with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 as framed before the wingstretch and before the fun came out: 1/2500 sec. at f/5 in Manual mode.

61-Point/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF activated an array of 5 sensors on the base of and the leading edge of the wing and were of course active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial.

For a ton of great lessons, to see the original image, and to learn about saving the WHITEs during the RAW conversion, click here.

As for the image, don't be shy; all comments are welcome. Microscopic and LAB color analyses are not needed :S3:.

Lovely wing position here Arthur! And I really like the BG and definition in the wings. The BG really helps the bird stand out. It may be my screen but I could do with a little less sharpening on the perch and top of head. Otherwise awesome. TFS

Very nicely composed image. Simple and clean with a very interesting pose, clean BG and the rock perch goes well with the lines of the stretched wings. I like it as presented.

Fantastic, like something is pulling on the wingtips!
Fantastic detail in the white feathers. The white goes very well with the blue background.

This is one of your best images you have posted this year IMO.
Simple but elegant.
The play of the beautiful blues of the ocean and the whites is lovely.
The wing stretch is great and I like the diagonal line created by the rock perch and continued by the wings.
Even the rock echoes the black and whites of the tern.
I like the loose comp and all the space around the tern.
In a perfect world there would not be any droppings on the rock, but as it stands, they blend in well to the rock and are not that noticeable on first viewing.
Gail

I like this one Arthur. The pose is beautiful and the rocks shape and color looks great. The exposure looks right on and the detail is perfect. A Very appealing shot.

Fabulous frame, Artie! Beautiful stretching pose, background and details! The bird really stands out! TFS

Wonderful image. Spectacular pose with fully stretched wings...ready to take off.
Love the way it pops up against lovely blues.

Regards,
Satish.

Homerun image imo, and I enjoy seeing the juvenile of this species...let alone the species, which hardly ever gets posted...I busted out my microscope and found a few dust sensor spots, but they are hidden well in the darkly hued water :)

Thanks Shawn; I have been lazy lately with regards to dust spotting.

Thanks all above for your kind words. It is indeed a huge privilege to be out here on GGI :)

A special place indeed as is this image. Such a sweet bird set off so nicely against that dark blue background.

You could not have asked for a better wing stretch than that! I love that full extension. Great white on blue colour motif. Too bad the tern did not perch at the very top of the rock, but that is a moot point when is visually so strong.