Run With It

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

Happy New Year everyone! This image was taken in Sarasota Fl and I titled it as my motto for the coming year. These Hooded Mergansers were fun to watch and shoot. They were catching these catfish and shrimp and chasing eachother for them. Pretty fun.
Cropped to pan for better effect. The light was low and I am still feeling out my dof on this lens with more than one subject. I'm sure I could have gotten away with f8 and a lower ISO but I'm still learning.
Canon 1DMIV 500mm f4 lens w 1.4X
ISO 1000 f10@1/2000

[Sidharth Kodikal]

Ha! What a sweet image Cheryl. So many things to like about this. Love the comp, the spalshes, the pose. The food is cherry on top.
It's all come together nicely. Seems to need a bit of CCW rotation.

[Dennis Zaebst]

Striking image Cheryl...very sharp and love the two splashes and the drops frozen in the air. Good wing position, and great low angle & composition. Very well done. Where in Sarasota did you find these birds? I am travelling there (to SW FL area) this month, and would love to photograph these guys.

[Don Nelson]

excellent - I love these Hooded Mergansers, and you've captured it well. I especially like the prey item.

[PhilCook]

Yes top a slight CCW rotation, but great timing, loving the little fish in it's mouth

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

Ha! What a sweet image Cheryl. So many things to like about this. Love the comp, the spalshes, the pose. The food is cherry on top.
It's all come together nicely. Seems to need a bit of CCW rotation.

Thanks Sidharth. I rotated this according to the reflections and the horizon so... That would make the water line crooked right? Always confusing to me.

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

Striking image Cheryl...very sharp and love the two splashes and the drops frozen in the air. Good wing position, and great low angle & composition. Very well done. Where in Sarasota did you find these birds? I am travelling there (to SW FL area) this month, and would love to photograph these guys.

Hi Dennis and thanks for the post. These guys were here last month but last Ihave heard they are all gone. Possibly they ate all the fish?

[Marina Scarr]

Love the running pose on this one and the pano was a perfect comp to go with it. Whites are a little hot but sun is obviously pretty high. Your horizon looks spot on to me. I just took the image into PS and the 2 specular highlights align perfectly with their reflections, as does the birds's white head. Something about the image is probably making the horizon look off. Well seen and executed, Cheryl.

[dankearl]

I can't believe you got of these little ducks with a fish?
Remarkable, the photo is sharp and I think the exposure is very good. The whites are almost impossible in sunny conditions
to get perfect.
I don't know if I have ever seen a Merganser with prey. very cool.

[Dan Busby]

That's a great one Cheryl. One of my favorite birds! Love the two foot steps and the food. I usually think of this species as elegant and refined but this bird almost looks a bit goofy and playful. Nicely done!

[Doug Brown]

It's good to see that you're putting your Mark IV to good use Cheryl. I really like the pano crop with the bird placed in the right half of the frame; it helps tell the story of what's happening. The fish is a nice bonus. I'd consider sharpening the bird a little more, and I agree with your self-assessment about the choice of aperture.

[Nick Palmieri]

Nice capture. Like the splashes and the crop seems to work.

[Robert Holguin]

Terrific shot.
Excellent timing, love the comp, great shooting angle, and just love the pose.
Very well done.

[Frank Schauf]

A great dynamic situation, congratulations, Cheryl.

[Miguel Palaviccini]

Wonderful shot! Great timing, almost spot on exposure (nothing you can do about the whites with the bright sun). I know how hard these guys are to photograph (at least in my area), but you managed real well!

As for the CCW rotation, I agree. I would base it off the water line and not the horizon (unless the horizon is the edge of the ocean). The bank doesn't necessarily have to be level, but the water lines sure do.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Cheryl, great action captured, and this guy looks like a naughty child running away with the goodies - there again, he's doing just that. Splashes add lots. With regards to rotation, no matter what is around the subject, in water, I always base it on the ripples/waterlines. I agree with Miguel. Still, well captured.

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

Thanks everyone

[Melissa Groo]

Wicked cool shot, Cheryl, just love that running on water and the prey in the bill, these details make it a cut above the rest. Great job on your comp.

[John Obenaus]

Nice acttion Cheryl and the snack is a real bonus. Personally I would not have stopped down to f10 and opted for lower ISO / and or higher shutter speed. I don't think the gain in dof is significant from say f8 or 6.3 and you end up with the other disadvantages of a stopped down lens...but that's just me :)

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

Nice acttion Cheryl and the snack is a real bonus. Personally I would not have stopped down to f10 and opted for lower ISO / and or higher shutter speed. I don't think the gain in dof is significant from say f8 or 6.3 and you end up with the other disadvantages of a stopped down lens...but that's just me :)

Hey John, Thanks for commenting and in hindsight I agree with you on that. At the time I was trying for the two birds in the shot and was shooting for the max dof. In saying that, I still am not sure if I would have needed f10? I am loving this lens let me tell you. BTW :) I am curious. What is your take on the horizon rotation. Get the reflections straight or straighten the water line?

[John Obenaus]

I see a bit of a down slope from the splash line, but its not bothersome to me. Glad you are enjoying the lens.....I'm enjoying my sleep again as well :)