I've just returned from a week long vacation with my family to the Assateague Island area, Maryland/Virginia. Had a great time photographing black skimmers, wild ponies, terns, and willets. Took this in the bay where I rented a kayak one day. I liked the way the light bounced off the sand and lit up the oystercatcher's belly and underwing, and the angle of the oystercatcher towards me. Though this was at only about 7:45 a.m., the light was beginning to get pretty harsh.
This is about a 40% crop. I chose to leave some of the beachline in my crop as I liked the way it gave a sense of place. Some sharpening, NR, and a bit of selective lightening on wing and neck. Also did some recovery on the whites on the left wing.
Thank you kindly in advance for any comments and critiques.
Nice one, Melissa. I agree about the bounce lighting and the angle toward you, and I like the downstroke wing position. Good choice to include the beach on the bottom, although I suppose it might have been nicer if the RHS had been more like the left. Nice and sharp, and good comp.
Nice wing position and flight angle and excellent comp!
Bill seems a bit dull for this species ... was it desaturated?
Great choice to include some habitat for sense of place and to anchor the image but also wish the LRC were not so dark
You did a great job handholding the 500 for this image and from a kayak...I am impressed. You were also not dealing with the best lighting situation, but you handled that well and lightened the bird just enough. For me, the beak looks true to life as is, esp with the way the sun was hitting it. Have to agree that the lower right BG is extremely dark but you made the right decision by including the BG. I do very much like the stray wing feather!
Beautiful flight angle and wing position..Light definitely not the best but you handled it well...I also like the inclusion of habitat...and truely great job handholding that 500mm from Kayak..Well done.
Hi Melissa, well placed in the frame with a great flight posture. Well exposed on the head, overall, nice and sharp, and great job shooting from a kayak.
Thanks, you all. Marina and Sachin, the handholding was not that challenging as it was actually my nice and light 400mm this time...I'm starting to get a touch of tendonitis I think from handholding my 500mm, so am pulling back on that a little.
Mike, I did not touch the saturation on the bill, I think it just looks muted because of the way the light's hitting it.
Thanks again for the comments.
Nice flight capture of this oystercatcher. These days I am not even able to handhold 100-400mm so I know that shoulder pain. You did great job capturing this one from kayak.
Melissa - very impressive from a kayak. I like the angled flight and wing pose. I agree with the others about good decision to include a bit of the habitat, just wish the rhs was not so dark.
Welcome back!
Very nice BIF. I really like the downward wing pose and the HA.
Is the 1/8000 a typo?
I really like the lonesome stray feather on the right wing.
Good recovery on the whites.
Gail
American Oystercatcher in Flight
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