Black Oystercatcher Portrait

[Geoff Newhouse]

Just like my GBH from yesterday, I hope this bill is long enough for the theme. Where are those curlews and whimbrels when you need them... This was shot from a kayak in Departure Bay, Nanaimo BC.

Shot in available light, manual exposure, handheld from kayak. Canon 7D2, Canon 100-400II + 1.4TCIII, 560mm, f/8, 1/1250, ISO 400. Crop is about 40% left out of the original.

[Bill Dix]

Lovely long-bill portrait. Very good detail in blacks and browns, and nice complimentary background. Good light makes the bill glow.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Well balanced crop, and the bill's colours are perfect and glowing. Excellent blacks and browns. Beautiful BG. A better head angle would have made for a stronger connection with the viewer. Although the image is well focussed I do feel an additional subtle pass of sharpening would be good for the fine details for web posting.

[Geoffrey Montagu]

Welcome to BPN! Excellent BLOY portrait, Geoff. The blacks and browns are managed very well. Great BG and like your crop.




Geoffrey

[keith mitchell]

That bill is really something, love the colour of it and the eye, nice fine feather detail which looks sharp enough on my monitor, like this a lot.

Keith.

[adrian dancy]

I'm in agreement with Daniel. However I would only sharpen the feather plumage and not the bare parts.

[Jim Crosswell]

I like the composition, exposure control and BG. Well done Geoff.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Geoff, you really nailed the exposure on the blacks, and what striking colours these guys have on their bills. I do like how the blue BG sets off the OC, and having all of the BG would have been a bonus. HA mentioned, but sometimes our subjects just wont give that perfect pose that we are after.

[christopher galeski]

nice capture,nice detail and BG,agree with Daniel on a touch more sharpening.TFS.

[arash_hazeghi]

nice head shot, I like the light and details, bummer the head is angled just a bit away from us