Curlew sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)

[Jonathan Ashton]

These small waders/shorebirds are very similar to Dunlin and are something of a rarity around here so I was glad to be able to get a couple of images. I hope I have ID correctly, I previously attached an image I thought was curlew sandpiper but I have been advised it was a Dunlin! I am going on the eye stripe and I get the impression the bill is a little longer than a Dunlin's.

Hand held knee height.

Olympus : E-M1X
Lens focal length : 600 mm (300mm & MC20)
Focal Length (35 mm conversion) : 1202.0mm
Metering mode : Pattern
Exposure mode : Manual exposure
ISO Sensitivity : 2000
Exposure time : 1/2000 sec
F number : F8
Exposure compensation : +1.0 EV
Flash : OFF

ACR/PSCC

[dankearl]

I might add a catchlight... There is a funny grain to the BG, especially the FG, sort of like noise but more pronounced.
iso2000 should not look like that...

[David Roach]

Love the soft light and that drop. Also see noise, probably just under exposed. TFS

[John Mack]

The lone water drop is nice. Looks noisy in the darker areas.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Thanks for the feedback, I noticed the noise, I can live with it - though I agree there is more in this than might be expected. Sometimes it is more pronounced than others, exposure was +1, I can get decent images upto ISO 3200-6400 and yet some lower ISO images are occasionally worse. I have used Topaz and Neat Image and ACR, Topaz usually delivers, I was probably not patient enough to optimise.

[gail bisson]

I cannot help wit ID confirmation as I have never seen a curlew sandpiper!
Agree about the noise and agree that one has to be patient when using Topaz Denoise. It takes soooo long to render and it is a pain in the butt to have to redo the noise reduction!
I would crop out the top of the frame to eliminate the sandbar.
The single drop is a nice touch,
Gail

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Jon, away in a small bolt-hole on the moors playing with some kit , but to me it's colour noise which I'm not sure Topaz deals with? Address this and it should help, also are you applying to the raw, not the baked tiff?

I would go cooler and hint to the left on the tint to reduce the magenta cast.

Wish the head was a tad more to the viewer rather than a way, like the droplet.

TFS
Steve

[William Dickson]

Hi Jon....Yes...Curlew Sandpiper....Well done, not an easy bird to see, never mind photograph. Lovely pose you get there and that drop adds so much.

Will