Canon 1D4
500mm +1.4x
Handheld
1/2500
f/5.6
ISO 800
Taken near sunset in mid August at Nickerson during one of my couple visits there one weekend. The grasses in front were problematic for shooting very low, and I didn't want to be tethered to the tripod or skimmer, so I handheld, kneeling down. Found an area with a few chicks in the eastern colony, thanks to the direction of Richard Ettlinger whom I met that evening and shot alongside (I had come to know his work a couple years ago through his book On Feathered Wings: Birds in Flight). Got this parent coming in with a fish.
I like the way the skimmer is framed by the grasses, the bird's shadow, the hint of the fence in back, and the view of the prey. I did need to do some whites recovery, and I desaturated the legs and beak a bit. Please tell me if there's a color cast, I seem to struggle with that a bit.
Thanks for looking and for any comments/critiques.







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