skimmer scythe comin at me...

Taken at Nickerson this late summer. I will hold on to this head on shot till next summer... There is a dusky "halo" on the top of the head that trails off onto the top of the back and it just bugs me... This was on the RAW file and it seems to me it is a dof artifact; what would you do if anything about it? Cleaned up some noise in the underwings and also removed a lone grass that was intersecting the wing. I like how the tip of the mandibles show at the bottom of the underbelly. When you see a skimmers bill it is robust, the girth around the upper and lower mandibles is by no means "slim." At this angle, the fabulous beak takes on an entirely different view.
DPP, crop, levels, sharpening, NR.


1Dx
840mm
ISO 1600
5.6
1/1600

I love the dusky halo as it sets off the head ... A very fine image overall. I like the soft light and the knife-edge bill.

with love, artie

Super cool perspective here Ann. I really like the head on shot. You killed it with the skimmers at Nickerson. Congrats. With regards to the halo if you want to remove it, select that area, go to HUE/SATURATION, select the blue channel and lower it until the halo disappears. Probably have to go to -100 on this one but try and it see what you think. I would increase the exposure by .25 stops and add 5 points of warmth using Viveza to top this one off.

Hello,

wow perfect in flight catch, i like it as it is.

Far out, Ann. I would not change a thing in this great head-on flight capture. Above all, personally the dusky "halo" looks beautiful, and would leave it just as is. The light is spectacular, and I love that we can see the full beak with the dark tip. Also love the slight head tilt. Wonderful grasses, and great BG. Well done.

Geoffrey




http://500px.com/geoffreymontagu

Another vote for the halo! I think it really help pull our attention right to his/her face. I'd kill for a head on view like this. That beak is just amazing from this angle.
The trailing feet are perfect!

I think you have a real winner here Ann. I would be happy with it just the way it is. That thin beak is amazing from this dead on view!

Birds flying towards you can be a challenge. Nice work here. Good point about the head-on perspective and how it shows the shape of the beak.