Common Tern and chick

[gail bisson]

Canon 1DX
F 600mm II and 2X
ISO 1250
F 5.6
SS 1/640
Cropped by 20% so 80%FF
Cloudy evening at Nickerson Beach,on lowered tripod
PP: Raw converted in DPP as per Arash's guide, crop, NR on BG, pruned leaf in front of adults beak and removed nictitating membrane using curves to darken the eye. I used tonal contrast on BG by reducing shadows and midtones to -75 which softens and blurs.
Comments and critiques always appreciated and learned from with thanks,
Gail
Hmm, now that I see it uploaded I think I should take a bit off the top...

[Richard Flack]

Awesome image Gail. What a special moment!

[dankearl]

I agree, a bit off the top to just above the leaf would look nice.
Very cute intimate photo of the chick.

[Matthew Studebaker]

wow Gail. what a fantastic pose from both birds here!

[Loi Nguyen]

Gail. Lovely image of mother ad chick. You nailed the exposure here and the low shooting angle works well. I find the BG a bit distracting, would suggest you blur it a little. Is it really the 2X? If so, your aperture should be at least F8. Loi

[Melissa Groo]

Super job, Gail! Given the lack of light we had on this day, you really got a lovely, clean image, and just great poses from both parent and chick. Thanks for the details on your PP, I may try that on my own renditions of this pair.

[Diane Miller]

I'd have to vote for a lot off the top, halfway to the head. That brings the eye right into the birds.

I wonder how a little Detail Extractor would work, in conjunction with the TC?

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Gail, well exposed in the soft light, and the terns are framed nicely between the foliage. Well timed to get the open beak of the chick, and I really like the 'swirling' lines of the OOF BG. Comp wise, I would leave the top, as you would then cut off the top of the plants in the URC.

[gail bisson]

Gail. Lovely image of mother ad chick. You nailed the exposure here and the low shooting angle works well. I find the BG a bit distracting, would suggest you blur it a little. Is it really the 2X? If so, your aperture should be at least F8. Loi

You are absolutely correct Loi! I was using my 1.4x. Sorry for the mistake.
Gail

[Randy Stout]

Gail;

The pose is special, great shooting angle (helped by the long focal length), nice framing by the vegetation.

I would try a version with some off the top as mentioned. Since it is a low ,crouching pose, it doesn't need as much room above, although the sweep of grasses in background is interesting.

I would try to tease up the catchlight in the eye of the adult a bit more if possible. It looks rather flat, which is probably the way that day was!

Cheers

Randy

[jack williamson]

This is a beauty Gail!. Great dof with mom and baby. I like the crop as is. The BG is wonderful.

Jack

[Bill Dix]

Sweet. I love the setting and the low POV. Cropping the top would remove the leaf in the URC, which I like. I suppose cutting down half of the top to make a pano would make an equally lovely shot, but I like it as posted. My eye is drawn to the whitish patch in the ULC. I don't know what could be done; burning it would probably make it look grey. Maybe brush in a hint of green?? Beautiful image in any event.

[Tim King]

I like the weeping grasses in the BG. Nice behavioral photo, and nicely exposed.

[Daniel Cadieux]

I like the comp as is...but a crop as suggested would have its' own merit too. Very special image with both subjects having their bills open which adds lots of dynamism. Wicked cool BG. Murphy's law states that the best and sharpest image of a series will have the nictitating membrane present...good job getting rid of it, but I like Randy's suggestion about the eye.

[arash_hazeghi]

sweet interaction and I like the BG that has created a virtual curtain. agree in adding a small catch light or enhancing it if it is in RAW

TFS great shot

[gail bisson]

Murphy's law states that the best and sharpest image of a series will have the nictitating membrane present...good job getting rid of it, but I like Randy's suggestion about the eye.[/QUOTE]
Hi Daniel,
Truer words were never spoken!! And I thought it only happened to me!!haha

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

Really nice Gail. Those palms fall so nicely like a curtain and I thought that before I saw what Arash said.:) I like the chicks open mouth and the contrast of the plumage sise by side. Nice work