Black Skimmer

[Bill Dix]

Again from Nickerson, on 1 August just about forty minutes before sunset. This one is full-frame except that I added a bit of canvas on top and did a little wing-tip repair, and cropped a corresponding amount from the bottom.

D500, 500PF, ISO1600, 1/2000s @ f/8 manual, HH.

[Jack Backs]

Nice image. Like the background other than the larger lighter area in front of the left wing. Would have been nice to have a little larger prey.

[annmpacheco]

Hi Bill, nice and sharp, EP looks spot on, maybe pull out some details in the blacks... Very nice definition in the underwings. i know you "stretched" the canvas but it looks too cramped in the frame for me, nice HA bright eye and I think the fish is smiling!

[John Mack]

Nice to see the fish eye. Yes to more room around but you already addressed that. The pose and light are nice.

[Matt Sutherland]

Well executed. I agree about the tightness of the cropping... I'd see what happens if you add more to the bottom. If not too much effort, a tad to the RHS and about twice that amount to the LHS-- just for breathing room. I love the yellows in the background. Nice work on the wingtip repair.

[gail bisson]

The PP looks great Bill although the wing tip on left wing looks a bit blunt. Might "round that out a bit".
This is FF so I know you don't have the extra canvas on the left so I will enjoy the really good view of the fish and the excellent sharpness and IQ on the face and bill.
Love the light and the way it lights up the eye.
Gail

[Geoffrey Montagu]

Good one, Bill. Love that warm light, wing and tail position, and the trailing feet. Great detail on both bird and fishes eye. Well captured.


Geoffrey




http://500px.com/geoffreymontagu

[Bill Dix]

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. I hadn't intended to do this much intervention on this one, but your suggestions were good ones, and I figured I'd make a few more adjustments: I stretched the canvas to give him a bit of flying room, made a tiny additional tweak to the wingtip, and a few other things.

[Dorian Anderson]

Fish and face are as sharp as they come! Detail across the bird looks great - in both lights and darks - and the background is nicely blurred while still offering a suggestion
of the dunes habitat. He is tight in the frame, but it sounds like there's nothing you can do about that! I wish for a bit more of that far wing, but the detail on the the nearer
wing is really nice.

[Arthur Morris]

Well done and the repost is better. The 500 PF rocks.

with love, artie

[Bill Dix]

Thank you Dorian and Artie.