Black Guillemot on Ice

[Bill Dix]

The lighting didn't afford any detail on this wet black bird, but I liked the setting and graphic quality of this one. From Svalbard a few weeks back.

D500, Sigma 150-600C @ 600mm; ISO 640, 1/2500s @ f/6.3 manual, HH from Zodiac.

[gail bisson]

Did not realize you were in Svalbard! You are having lots of travel adventures this year!
Very cool walking position and the pop of red adds a lot to the image.
Ice details look great but the blacks are way too blocked. A bit of flash would have worked well here.
Looking forward to some bear pics!
Gail

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Bill, a very similar to one I have, great minds.

I agree with Gail here Bill, the subject is just too black with almost zero detail at present. Either the metering was fooled with the white expanse and so you would need to go + on the EV metering for the subject and then in PP you can resolve the environment, or... you just need to open the image up in the Exposure module, but this is where you can to highlight any noise albeit minimal at 640. I think though there is not much detail there.

TFS
Steve

[Krishna Prasad kotti]

I agree with the comments on exposure. Flash or more +EV would have helped the image.

Overall I like the image. I have never seen the birds they look interesting to me.

Thanks
Krishna

[David Policansky]

Nice action shot. Do you want to blow the whites and show detail in the bird, or leave it as you have it? I think I'd be willing to lose a bit of detail and contrast in the ice and water. Well done from a Zodiac!

[Daniel Cadieux]

The image is dark for me as well. I think you could have opened up a stop more, and still have wiggle-room to reduce the highlights in post. Apart from this, you have a neat image here. I like the icy perch.

[arash_hazeghi]

nice unique sighting, blacks have no details as pointed out given the overcast light

TFS

[Bill Dix]

Thank you all. As I said in Pane 1, the light afforded no detail in the blacks. I tried lifting the exposure in RAW, but the blacks just turned to dull uniform grey. Fill flash might have helped if I had been willing to take the flash on the pitching Zodiac. Perhaps several exposure-stacked images might have helped. As it was I was content to think of it as a graphic composition -- shapes and colors.

Yes, Gail, our travels this year went from nearly the bottom of the globe to the top; but try as I might I'll never match your travels.