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Thread: An Ancient Mariner

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    Default An Ancient Mariner

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    I photographed Horseshoe Crabs on the coast of Delaware in late May, during their annual migration to the beaches to spawn. This spawning in turn attracts nearly a million shorebirds to feast on the pinhead-size crab eggs during their migration to the breeding grounds much farther north. The horseshoe crab evolved before the dinosaurs and is possibly the most ancient animal on earth today. The combination of spawning crabs and the feeding frenzy of shorebirds is quite a spectacle. I'm very glad to have made the trip.

    Canon 1D Mark 1V, Canon 400 f4 DO IS lens, 1/800, f8, exp. comp. +2/3, ISO 800. No tripod, I laid flat on the sand.

    Comments & critiques most appreciated.

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Nancy - nice low pov and to me the rocky beach adds interest but having seen lots of horseshoe crabs, I'm not sure this is the best view to shoot. Though I've never really thought to photograph them I think I would have moved more to the right and tried to show some of the legs too. Also I would expect a little more dof at f8, did you add any blur?

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    I was waiting for a flock of feeding shorebirds to return and this digging crab caught my eye. I should have thought a bit more and moved to the right as you suggest. I did not add any blur.

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    BPN Member Anette Mossbacher's Avatar
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    Hi Nancy,

    I am wondering about the ISO 800 for this crab! Does it dig so fast? I only have seen one in my life and that was a dead one! So I have no idea, if they are fast or! I agree with Rachel on this image, also wondering about the dof!

    Have a great day

    Ciao
    Anette

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Nancy, nice to see the diversity of the subjects you photograph. A change of habitat/environment & subject means you have to always be thinking and creates new problems to solve too.


    I don't mind the angle as it illustrates the bow wave of the sand being moved by the front. I 'might' add either a Curves adjustment or mid tone to the shell, just for a bit more depth, but certainly add more USM to bring out the detail in the shell. I would then crop to say a 16 x 9 format to loose the dead space above, as personally I think it's not adding much and you can then have almost a 1/3 to 2/3 ratio and having a lot less to the right, but retaining the amount to the LHS, liked to have more for the subject to move into.

    TFS
    Steve
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    Anette, too funny about the crabs moving fast...they are very slow! ISO 800 because it was a cloudy day and I really wanted speed for the frantic feeding of the sandpipers coming to the washed out eggs of the crabs. I think the dof was "stopped" by the shell, like a solid wall. I think this makes sense.
    Steve, thank you. About the thinking, some thoughts need to percolate and by then I am somewhere else! I just hope to carry some ideas to the next subject. I'll experiment with more midtone and more USM. About the crop, I was concerned that taking from the top would leave the image "too skinny". But will see what the 16x9 does.

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    Here is the image with the suggested changes. I think it is an improvement. Thanks everyone.

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Interesting crustacean, Nancy! I too like the digging motion perceived by this perspective, though I certainly would like to see more of the body just cause I've got no idea what they look like. I'm guessing the name comes from the shape of the shell as viewed here?

    Repost is better IMHO.
    Morkel Erasmus

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