American Oystercatchers mating

[Isaac Grant]

I previously posted another frame from this series (a few months back). This shot is when the actual mating began and not just the jumping on the females back and getting ready. From Breezy Point in Queens, New York. I was very fortunate to have the action happen at a nice sun angle and shortly before sunset.

Canon 500 f4 ii + 1.4xiii. ISO 400, F8, SS 1/2000. Tripod mounted with legs fully extended while I was laying in the wet sand. 4 focus points covering the body of both birds.

Converted in DPP 4. Auto White Balance. Highlight and shadow adjustments and lowered the saturation of the reds. In PS I cropped a tiny bit, leveled, applied noise reduction to background. Also used NIK to do a tonal contrast and white neutralizer adjustment.

[Tim Foltz]

Very nice low angle shot, good job. My only nit is the reds still look to be a bit hot IMO.

-Tim

[stuart wanuck]

agree with reds but excellent capture

[Isaac Grant]

Here is another one with the reds toned down even more. Amazing how much work they need. This is the 3rd time I lowered the saturation on them. Once in DPP, once in PS and then selected just the bills and lowered the saturation and luminance again in this one. I guess the tonal contrast brings out the reds a bit to counteract what I did.

[annmpacheco]

HI Isaac,
Third times a charm for me, i like the reds in this repost, they don't scream so loudly as the OP. wonderful work, processing and catching this behavior, well done!

[Arthur Morris]

The image is stunningly beautiful. You are taking the wrong approach with the red-oranges... Simply go back to the first one and then, in Selective Color, try adding 60-90 points of CYAN to the REDs. You will be amazed.

You could not have posed them any better. I love the two head angles.

What sort of puzzles me is that the blacks look so enamel-like, i.e., without detail...

a

[Arthur Morris]

ps: Any beach clean-up?

a

[Isaac Grant]

Thanks for the info about the reds. Will try that for sure. I did apply a small amount of noise reduction to this image so perhaps that took some of the details away from the blacks. But even in the RAW file the angle the birds are at seemed to darken most of the blacks. I think if they were turned slightly more towards us there would not be that much dark black there. I checked before and after the noise reduction and it was hardly any difference in the blacks but perhaps I did too much? Also tried a version using Detail Extractor but did not like the results. Open to suggestions of course.

I did a tiny amount of beach clean up. There were a few small black spots on the right side along the water line and a few circular spots in the sand on the bottom. But then I cropped those out so you can not see what I did there. Also there was a Sanderling all the way on the left edge of the frame that I got rid of. It was very small and was well in front of where the mating was taking place.

[Arthur Morris]

For the BLACKs perhaps 25% Detail Extractor plus 25% Tonal Contrast on the same layer then reduced to taste. I save that as a recipe that I title 25/25.

Thanks for the clean-up info.

a

ps: all the Photoshop stuff I mentioned plus tons more in detailed in my Digital Basics File.

[Isaac Grant]

I have that saved as a recipe. The 50/50 as well. Plus a few others. I always try and find the cleanest spot at the beach to set up so I need to do as little clean up as possible. Makes a big difference.

[keith mitchell]

Isaac you have captured this action shot perfectly though I must agree the reds do look a tad overpowering to me.

Keith.

[Arthur Morris]

I have that saved as a recipe. The 50/50 as well. Plus a few others. I always try and find the cleanest spot at the beach to set up so I need to do as little clean up as possible. Makes a big difference.

Good. Me too on the clean places...

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[Bill Dix]

Fabulous behavior shot. Well exposed and composed. I know how those red bills can sing in the late sunlight, so your most recent repost works nicely for me. Very well done!

[dankearl]

Repost is superb. Terrific display and image IQ.

[arash_hazeghi]

very nice Issac all points covered already. I want to add that the interaction takes this frame to the top. well done

[Marina Scarr]

Boy did everything come together for you nicely with this frame. The behavior you have captured with the head angles, light and BG right, plus the male's outstretched wings just take this one straight to the top!!! Wish it were mine.

[Matthew Jones]

Spectacular Issac, all been said but I'd like to add this image has inspired me to keep a close eye on a local pair of Aussie Pied Oystercatchers, they should be getting frisky any day now.

[Satish Ranadive]

Excellent image.

Regards,
Satish.

[Arthur Morris]

Excellent image.

Regards,
Satish.

Satish. Please let us know why you like an image so that we can avoid becoming another "Great Shot" Forum.

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[Krishna Prasad kotti]

Great shot. I like the wing position and great colors. Its amazing how you captured the moment. thank you for sharing it