Low-flying Willet
I spent several days after Thanksgiving in and around Ding Darling NWR, hoping for the spoonbills that had been reported there a few weeks prior. But Ding was spoonless, so I turned the camera on the Willets and other available shorebirds. Hope you like this one.
D7000, 500f4 + 1.4 TC, ISO 800, 1/2500s @ f/7.1 manual, gitzo and mongoose
Last edited by Peter Kes; 12-04-2012 at 02:19 PM.
Bill, willets look so ordinary with folded wings, and so beautiful in flight! I like the composition with the wingtip reflection. You froze the wings at the perfect point, with the wing tip so close to the water! Well exposed, with a great background. The drop of water falling from the feet is a plus, as well. My only wish would be for a slightly better sun angle, to put a touch more light on the head and beak.
Very interesting presentation with the wing reflection. I would consider a vertical crop since in this instance, it is not where the bird is flying but more about the strength of the composition with that strong reflection. Great details on the layers of feathers on the wing.
The capture of the bird is gorgeous. Yes, better light would have improved it by removing the shadow but I have no major problem with that. For me the jury is still out regarding the reflection...may be too overpowering and competing with the actual bird, but then again it's such a near perfect reflection the images pulls you in the see where the water and sky intersect, if they even do, or is it just all water in the BG. Overall I like this a lot.
Great flight pose showing the beautiful wing details on the downstroke. I really like how the wing is almost touching
the water but not quite. Wonder about a slight selective warming of the willet...? I think the light angle is fine, just
wish for a head turn slightly towards you...
I love the stillness of the water and the tack sharp wing position. Love how close the wingtip is to the water.
The single water droplet is wonderful and adds to the overall mood of the image.
The blue color is a lovely shade.
I am not sure about the cut off reflection and wish I could see all of it.
A beautiful shot and I can see why you like it so much,
Gail
Thank you all for the thoughtful comments.
Gail, your critique is always spot on. I liked the tantalizing aspect of the OP comp, but it had the problem of wanting to see the whole reflection, which unfortunately didn't merit inclusion in my opinion. Here was my first try at a comp, with just a modest crop from the camera. There is just enough ripple to mar the reflection, and the feather is not quite in focus, so I rethought it and came up with the crop as originally posted (teasing you the viewer into wanting more).
Nancy, I also considered a vertical, but there again it seemed to want more of the reflection, which fell short of perfection.
Mike and Shawn, in this repost I did go back and dodge the forehead, and warm up the bird just a tad. Both are improvements which I will go back and apply to the OP file. I, too, wished for a head turn, but he was intent on his course.
Hi Bill, I may be in a minority here, but I actually like the 2nd crop better. It has interesting compositional counterpoints, all of which are placed approximately at ROT intersections. I think this adds to the dynamism of the image, and because of the ripples in the water, the whole reflection does not compete with the bird. Congrats on a very nice and dynamic image!
By the way, I am heading down to SW Florida area in mid-January -- how is Ding Darling doing in general this winter?
I too prefer the RP—it seems more complete to me. Also, I think the floating feather adds context & anchors the willet & provides perspective. It is a very fine image. I am totally unconcerned with the ripple. TFS.
Andrew
Thanks Dennis and Andrew. Dennis, I'm not the right one to ask about Ding. I was there only for a few days. One solitary spoonie fly-by at a distance. A nice group of White Pelicans and a bunch of other shorebirds near the observation tower, with a cooperative Reddish Egret, several Tri-colored and numerous Little Blues. Surprisingly few Night-herons as compared with my previous visit in January. No Wood Storks while I was there. Little Estero was fairly productive. I didn't have time to get to Bunche Beach which has always been a good spot in the past. For Spoonies take a ride with Capt. James.
Great shot.
I really like the flight pose, exposed very well, and nice details.
I personally prefer the repost, but would like more in a vertical including the reflection.
Still a terrific shot.
Well done.
This is an awesome capture, Bill! The wing placement and reflection are outstanding, and the little droplet off the foot puts it over the top.
I prefer the second crop, and the feather is a nice addition to the image - well done!
Cheers Greg
I like the details and clean water but he has just passed you a little bit. A few frames before this would have been ideal
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I prefer the second version because of the nice reflection being presented in its entirety. The feather gives the frame some balance. Your sharpness is excellent, but I agree with Arash about the bird being past you.
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A great flight capture Bill and pin-sharp. The mirror-still water with the reflection is quite stunning. Another vote for your repost!
Reflection or no reflection, or half a reflection, this is a very nice image. It's all a matter of taste, and I sure would love to have this shot in my portfolio to play around with. While I do agree with Arash about the willet being just past you, I have to say that you got the perfect wing angle. A frame before this and you lose this.
Nice shot of this Willet. Great detail and exposure. Great wing position and I like the OP better. Shows off the nice detail in this. Good job.
The repost rocks! Love the feather.
Thanks everyone for your helpful and varied comments. A lot to think about on this one. I would feel better about the repost if the Pelican feather were sharp. I'll go back and explore the vertical comp when I get a chance.
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