Inca Tern Portrait

[Bill Dix]

Here's a different look at this iconic bird. In this frame he was perched on a canopy overlooking (optimistically) the fish market on the pier. The Inca Tern (Larosterna inca) is endemic to the Humboldt Current, which rakes the coasts of Chile and Peru with cold water from the Antarctic. The upwelling of nutrient-rich water associated with the current has made that coastline one of the world's most productive fisheries, and thus a prime habitat for plunge-feeding birds like the Inca Tern, Peruvian Booby and Peruvian Pelican. Unfortunately, the fish stocks are now in decline due to overfishing in past decades, combined with intermittent disruption of the current by El Nino events. Thus those three species are now in decline. In 2009 the Peruvian Government created an off-shore reserve for the protection of the Inca Tern and other species.

D7200, 500f4, ISO 3200, 1/1250s @ f/6.3 manual.

[gail bisson]

This is very nice Bill.
I really like the black on black. The subject is nicely separated from the BG.
Exposure is spot on with excellent details in the blacks and whites.
My only suggestion would be to crop in from the RHS but very nice as is.
Gail

[Joseph Przybyla]

Love the black on black, beautiful bird, nicely shown. Lovely portrait of this very interesting bird. Thank you for sharing, Bill.

[Randy Stout]

Bill:

The dark background lends a formal air to the portrait, and really needs to be viewed with very subdued lights in the room, to appreciate the separation from the bg.

The colors of the bill and the exaggerated white streak add.

I don't mind the mild debris on the bill and feathers, but would remove the single larger white spot on the head at ~ 1:00. Because it is on an edge, against the black background, it does jump out at me.

Cheers, and thanks for the story about the bird and its situation.

Randy

[Robert Kimbrell]

Bill the black on black looks great. Super job on the exposure. I would remove the white spot on the very top of the head. What a great looking bird.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Pretty neat looking bird, looks like someone sprayed a streak of canned whipped cream on it. Good job with the blacks, and I like Randy's description of "formal" with the matching dark BG. I too could see aversion with the bird more to the right, and I would certainly remove some of the specks on the face and body. I'm glad this bird is offered some protection by the Peruvian government...

[Marina Scarr]

Love the black on black. Feel this would work better tighter all around focusing mainly on the head.

[dankearl]

i also favor the crop suggestions if you have the pixels....
Very cool portrait, the bird deserves it.

[Alan Murphy]

Love this version you presented. I also see a strong vertical.

[Geoffrey Montagu]

Beautiful portrait, Bill. Very nice separation from the dark BG with great detail. Well done.




Geoffrey

[Satish Ranadive]

Excellent portrait, Bill Sir.
Superb exposures in blacks.
I too love the black on black.

Regards,
Satish.

[Gerald Kelberg]

It has all been said - but I too really like the black on black - looks great.

I'm with Daniel on the clean-up.

Gerald

[Don Hamilton Jr.]

Works for me like it is, give or take the spot removal... the vertical port is really tempting here..either way you have yourself one mighty fine image sir!!

[Doug Brown]

An excellent portrait Bill, with nice detail in both whites and blacks. Perfect head angle, and very good sharpness. I might do a little feather cleanup, and I'd consider a tighter crop.

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Looks great Bill! I think the tip of the bill was just out of the DOF, so a more side-on shot would have given you sharpness throughout.
It is a special looking bird and love the dark, eerie, feel to the overall image.
It could go tighter IMO.
WEll done and TFS!

[Bill Dix]

Thank you all for your kind words and suggestions. Here's a repost with a bit of cleanup, a slightly tighter crop, and maybe just a tad more sharpening of the tip of the beak. There are certainly other crop possibilities -- a square might even work well although I usually don't do that -- but I agree that this slight tightening works well. Thanks.

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

Bill please disclose if this image was taken at a studio!!!
Love that soft light and the ´´proud`` pose the bird gave you! Feather detail looks great and yes, It is sad to learn that this amazing species´s numbers are going down. We recently had one visiting us here in Costa Rica´s Pacific Coast, lots of birders went from SJ to Puntarenas the day the bird was first seen and only lasted there two days.

[gail bisson]

The repost is excellent Bill!
Well done!

[Richard Flack]

Stunning image Bill and what a cracker bird. Would love to see one of these someday!

[Glenn Conlan]

The repost made a great image even better, thanks for posting this. You handled the blacks with perfection

[Bill Dix]

Thanks again, folks.

[David Salem]

The re-post is awesome!! Love the comp and details in this very cool looking unique Tern. Very well done Bill

[Jim Crosswell]

One of your best Bill! The repost takes it to the top.