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Thread: Least Tern Family

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    Default Least Tern Family

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    Here is another of my least tern images from this season. I love the family setting, newly hatched chick, unhatched egg, both adults, the minnow and the clean beach and background, but I'm not sure that I choose a good crop. I'd love some opinions on what you might have done.

    In the original image, the tail tips of both adults were cut off. The adults stayed right at the edge of the frame and I have no other images with tail tips that I could use to "fix" the tails. Also, the adult on the right was too far, in my opinion, from the nest, so I moved him closer to the nest and reduced the dead space. I still had the problem of missing both tail tips, so I elected to crop the image closer to the base of both tails, hoping to balance the composition. This brought the chick and egg in closer and eliminated the dead space at the bottom of the image.

    Canon 50D
    500mm + 1.4TC
    f11
    1/1000
    ISO 400

    All comments appreciated and thanks in advance

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    Hey Micheal, great exposure, sharpness, and interaction. I know from experience how hard it is to frame these type of tern family shots. Cropping closer was a good decision. I might have tried for a shot of just the adult with the fish and the chick if they fit, or taking off the 1.4 tc if there was enough time. It looks like a tough situation with not a lot of time to react.

    I might actually crop this one a bit closer so you can't see the tails of the adults, and rotate it a bit.

    Just some different thoughts, hope they help.

    Looking forward to more!

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    Lifetime Member Marina Scarr's Avatar
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    Lovely family moment you captured here, Michael. It's great to have both adults, the chick, the egg and dinner to boot! First I am seeing a slight yellow cast on the image. I think the exposure looks good and in the whites and blacks. I would also crop closer to make it look intentional. I pulled it into PS. I would probably crop about 1-2" behind legs of adults and some off of the bottom. Not sure about the rotation. The chicks looks pretty level to me, but whatever works for your eye.
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    Tough call Mike. I think if it were mine I would leave it as is, when I opened it my eye went right to the chick and not the clipped tails. I would opt to rotate it CCW though. Great family interaction you captured with a nice low POV creating that lovely BOKEH on your BG.

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    Hi Michael, for my eye I would crop this one much closer to concentrate on the heads and the egg. The clipped tails look like a mistake to my eye, and I would have moved either closer or farther away in the original capture to make a commitment to one concept or the other. I would also be tempted to add a catchlight to both the female and the chick. Exposure and color balance look good to me. Look forward to more.
    "It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera... they are made with the eye, heart, and head." - Henri Cartier Bresson

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    Sweet family portrait! The natural history aspect of the image really appeals to me.
    There has already been some great advice and feedback given. I agree that a tighter crop
    would be more effective. I also agree that taking off the 1.4 would have been the way to
    go intially here. Looks like the you caught the nictating membrane down over the eye of the
    tern on the right. If you have more frames like this, using one without the nictating membrane
    visible would be an improvement imo.
    Excellent low angle by the way.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kerry Perkins View Post
    ... make a commitment to one concept or the other....
    I think that this is a very important comment from Kerry - something that many of us can learn from. Good insight, as always, Kerry!

    With respect to the image, I agree going in tighter would give a more interesting outcome. Seem to have large, recovered, bright area on both birds with little or no detail.

    Looking forward to seeing more!

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    Michael, The interaction you captured is wonderful. I might crop tighter top and bottom. It appears as thought there is lost detail in the whites. I most especially like the chicks open mouth and the egg. Kerry makes a good suggestion about the tails looking clipped not cropped.

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    Super Moderator Daniel Cadieux's Avatar
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    Lovely interaction with lots of positives going on here: fish, egg, little guy with open mouth, full family presence. Some of the whites look like blown to me, or at least originally blown with some attempted recovery. Good details otherwise, and I too like the clean beach. The crop looks good to my eye and the tails look cut rather than clipped (which is a good thing). Rotation looks like it may be needed, but I am sure the slope was originally there...just creates an illusion.

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    Great family portrait, Michael.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kerry Perkins View Post
    I would have moved either closer or farther away in the original capture to make a commitment to one concept or the other.
    Excellent advice, Kerry. I was too far away at 500mm and couldn't move any closer due to the rope line. All the activity with the adults happened within seconds and I didn't dare take my eye off the action for fear of missing anything. If only the birds would have cooperated! In hindsight, I wish I hadn't had the TC on for this sequence, but I'm glad I had it on for other shots that morning.

    Thanks everyone for the comments and advice. Looks like I have more work to do to get my whites properly exposed. I'll be working on that in the morning with some Snowy Egrets.
    Last edited by Michael Libbe; 09-14-2012 at 08:20 PM.

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    Nice moment here. I am agreeing with a closer crop so you aren't just removing the tail tips. I had a similar image of oyster catcher mom and chick. I chopped of both tails so I took it in tight and it came out great.

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