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Thread: Common Loon Just before Diving

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    Default Common Loon Just before Diving

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    Canon EOS-1D Mark II N, Shooting Date/Time 6/26/2008 05:22:49, Shutter Speed 1/400Sec,. Av (Aperture Value) F8.0, Evaluative metering, Exposure Compensation -1/3, ISO 400, Lens EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM. Cropped for a 11x17 print. Hand held from the Kayak.
    This is the third image in the series. When a loon is fishing and looking down in the water beneath it, as it spies its next meal, it will contract its body, form its neck into an S curve, getting ready to pounce and dive. That is what you see here. It is my goal to catch the different behaviors and different expressions from here on out on my loon images.
    This particular image I am very pleased with because I have not been able to capture the instant before it would dive until now. I would like to capture a loon as it pops up above water with perhaps half to three-quarters of the body above water, droplets pouring off the head. Perhaps even a head and body shake would be nice.

    Thank you for looking. Please leave your comments as I enjoy and pay close attention to each one. Thank you.

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    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
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    Grady:

    Very nice image, perhaps the smallest amount of over exposure on the white breast, but a fair trade off to get the rest so right! I really appreciate the information you provide. I will be looking for the loons in Northern Michigan next week. Nice to be inspired.

    Randy

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    Grady,

    A beautiful image! A bit hot on the chest and a bit too centered top to bottom I think. Love the pose, the eye and the beak exposure. A very intimate image. Good luck getting the behaviors documented.

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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    This is my favorite so far by a large margin but the eye still needs some work (as do the eyes of 99% of loon images, esp. those made on clear days). You need to se-SAT the red iris a bit and darken the pupil to increase apparent sharpness. (I believe that I have suggested this before but I am a bit forgetful these days...)
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