Common eider x 3

[gail bisson]

These very shy birds often roost on this rock. At low tide, it is about 30 meters from shore in chest high water.
I waited for them under a quick camo blanket with my camera on a tripod.
Every once in a while , a wave would come along and I would have to lift my tripod and camera up about a foot so the camera wouldn't get wet.
I wish the heads didn't intersect with the treeline but am still thrilled to have gotten this. This picture is especially sweet as I accidentally formatted my card and was able to retrieve it with Image Rescue!!
Canon 1D MkIV
ISO 400
SS 1/640
F 5.6
Cropped by 15%
Comments and critiques are always learned from and appreciated with thanks,
Gail

[Marina Scarr]

You surely worked hard for this image, Gail, and it paid off. Your BG is actually quite lovely and I like the texture and colors of the FG rock. There's quite a contract there. Agree with your self-critique on the line in the BG but had you gotten lower to take the photo to put them on the green BG, the angle would have been too steep and no longer pleasing. Great job on your PP here b/c not an easy one to process from the looks of it.

[David Salem]

Gail, Nice shot of the Eiders. Way to get out there! Congrats on the recovery too. Sharpness, pose , HA, and comp are very good. Dont mind the heads in the tree line. Looks just a little dark on my monitor. Great Work.

[Jim Crosswell]

I like the perch, sharpness and composition. You were well rewarded for your effort and patience.

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

Love this. The mirrored body poses are great. I wish you had gotten the horizon line just a bit higher but that is something I catch myself needeng to obtain a lot myself. I am assuming you worked the shadows a bit? Maybe just a little more?

[Satish Ranadive]

Excellent image. Very nicely exposed.I like the perch and lights here.
Love the pose.sharpness and composition.

Regards,
Satish.

[Karl Egressy]

Excellent image, Gail. Great to have two males and a female, all sharp in the frame. I saw my first ones last year in Quebec.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Gail, getting three in the frame is a real bonus, and all three looking the same way. Good DOF, sharp, and interesting how you described you captured this.

I once formatted a card before downloading, and even using rescue, I couldnt retrieve a single image, and I had some beauties.

[Robert Holguin]

Very nice shot.
Great job on capturing all three facing the same way. Great background and I really like the texture of perch.
Well done.

[Nico Steenberg]

Great eye contact and exposure on all of them. well done here Gail !

[gail bisson]

Thanks for the comments and ad vice.
Cheryl, I did work the blacks as much as I could.
I couldn't get any lower or my camera would have been underwater!!
If only I was a foot taller!
Gail

[mohammad reza shahab]

hi
Excellent image. Very nicely exposed.I like the perch and lights here.
Love the pose.sharpness and composition.