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Thread: Razorbill

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    Default Razorbill

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    Hi all,

    Hoping to sneak a couple in last minute for the theme -- a razorbill from Farne Islands. Background is the ocean. Small crop. Wish the rest of the beak was in focus, but sadly didn't get a perfect parallel turn.

    Camera: Nikon D500
    Lens: 300 PF f/4
    Specs: 1/2000 ISO 1600 f/6.3

    Thanks for looking and commenting on prior posts!
    Alex

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    Hi Alex,
    Nice pose of the subject. I would like the image even more if the beak is also in focus.
    -Victor

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    BPN Member Dorian Anderson's Avatar
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    This is a wonderful look at the eye. That iris is incredible. I too wish the whole beak was in focus, but it's still a pretty sweet shot.

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    Pretty darned nice. With all that shutter speed your surely could have stopped down more than a bit. Otherwise, this a a perfect example of the advantages of a two or three degree head turn toward you, especially for tight head shots where d-o-f is at a premium. That puts the bill more on the same plane as the eye.

    with love, artie
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    BPN Member Bill Dix's Avatar
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    Good head shot, with great look at the eye which is often hard to see in this species. Agree with your self-critique.

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    That eye looks really cool. Image looks to be spot on nice detail in the blacks and whites. The grey background compliments the bird very well.

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    Very nice Alex. Love the feather colour and detail, and the eye is fab. I've photographed them a few times and I know how difficult it is, especially if you don't get good light. Well done.

    Will

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    Super Moderator Daniel Cadieux's Avatar
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    Apart from the dof issue, all else rocks. I love the eye and the pattern around the pupil.

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    I love the Eye. I agree with the Dof.

    Very nicely done.

    Thanks for sharing.

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    Thanks all, much appreciated. In hindsight I would have gone a bit lower on SS and a bit more DOF. Gives me a reason to go back :). Best,

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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Hey Alex, A follow-up question: was this created left of the lighthouse on a cloudy afternoon?

    with love, artie
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Arthur Morris View Post
    Hey Alex, A follow-up question: was this created left of the lighthouse on a cloudy afternoon?

    with love, artie
    You're too good Artie -- yep, in that rocky area where they usually have one of the rangers stationed

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    The eye is amazing, I like the detail in the dark tones on the bird, I did not think the D500 would be this good at ISO 1600. Have you applied any NR?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nikhil Patwardhan View Post
    The eye is amazing, I like the detail in the dark tones on the bird, I did not think the D500 would be this good at ISO 1600. Have you applied any NR?
    Thanks Nikhil. I did apply some NR, lightly on the bird and then heavier on the BG. I follow along with Artie and Arash's NR guide for Professional Photographers which is very good. I hesitated for a bit to pull the trigger as the Neat Image plugin is I think 70-80$, but of course after finally getting it it's probably the best bang for the buck purchase I've made for my photography. I find I can go ISO 3200 (and even above when properly exposed) and get a pretty clean output.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Alex Becker View Post
    You're too good Artie -- yep, in that rocky area where they usually have one of the rangers stationed
    Thanks Alex. This is not my first rodeo :)

    with love, artie
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

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    Very pretty details. I echo what everyone else says re the details and shot, also the depth of field. I will raise a separate issue. I think your colors are a bit off.While I have not been quite as close to Razorbills as you were here, I have seen many of them over the years. They are a bit of a deeper black than you have portrayed here as the blacks look a bit thin to me. While that helps to show some details I do not think it is spot on for what these birds look like. Typical disclaimer re global adjustments and didn't try and get the whites perfect. While the difference is subtle, I think it makes a big difference to the shot.

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    Notes for Isaac.

    #1 - Great to have you back.

    #2: The heads of razorbills are actually dark brown with a hint of maroon. Not black.

    with love, artie
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

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    Yes I am aware of the colors of the birds, but the colors are not as thin and pale as in the original post. My repost is on the bottom.

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    Hey Isaac -- seeing your RP it is a subtle different but does give it more oomph. It's funny this bird is a bit of a PP nemesis for me. I've only seen them a couple times and each time I try to make a note of the colors and tones, and then when I go to process them its a bit out the window . Thanks again,

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