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Thread: Backlit Common Loon.

  1. #1
    Super Moderator Daniel Cadieux's Avatar
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    Default Backlit Common Loon.

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    A good friend of mine just got himself a low-riding hunter's boat for the purpose of on-the-water wildlife photography and invited me for an awesome morning of loon photography on a quiet lake outside the city. Although I got some good "traditional" stuff of parents and chicks in front lighting, this lone adult in heavily backlit conditions turned out to be one of my favorites form the session.

    Canon 7DII + 500mm f/4 II + 1.4TC III, manual exposure, evaluative metering, 1/2000s., f/5.6, ISO 800, natural light, handheld, about 80% FF, a few imperfections in the water removed.

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    Avian Moderator Brian Sump's Avatar
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    Exceptional Daniel, I can see why you liked it so much. Me too.

    Beautifully processed and well exposed. Love that you featured a bit of the reflection in the dark water. Great eye contact and just enough light to connect with the shaded one.

    Sweet comp and an overall memorable canvas. I need more friends like you have :-p

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    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
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    Daniel:

    A beauty. Very evocative .

    I find I often have to lighten the shadowed eye a bit to let it show at all. I might consider a modest crop from the top, converting it more to a pano format. Personal taste really, I have always thought that a pano crop plays well with the shape of the loon when swimming.

    Congrats.

    Randy
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    Super Moderator arash_hazeghi's Avatar
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    dramatic image Dan, that dark BG is really nice...I do wish the light was coming from the right side instead of left.

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    I like this a lot Dan, the slight hint of rim light on the head is key IMHO.

    TFS
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    Very dramatic light Dan! I really like the amount of head turn you got to make this image. Perfect!

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    Wow, great artistic shot, only would have like a smidgen more space at the back. Congrats

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    BPN Member Bill Dix's Avatar
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    Wonderfully evocative frame. Nice to see something different, especially with your artistic eye.

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    BPN Member dankearl's Avatar
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    I like it, I would erase the highlights short of the frame edge on the right.
    Dan Kearl

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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Dramatic for sure. Arash's comment led me to realize that this is more side-lit than backlit. I would not mind the shaded side of the face a bit brighter and the sunlit portion of the face with a bit more detail. One option that most of us have forsaken with Digital is lighting the shadowed side with lots of flash ...

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    Lifetime Member gail bisson's Avatar
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    This is so nice daniel.
    Artie's comments echo my thoughts perfectly.
    Maybe lower the highlights by 5% on the lit up side of the face and an even smaller increase in brightness or exposure to the shaded eye for my taste.
    A real showstopper!
    Gail

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    Love it. A mysterious feel to this image. Nice to see something that's not front light on here.

  13. #13
    BPN Member William Dickson's Avatar
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    Looking real good Dan...As Randy stated...Very evocative....No nits from me, I would be well chuffed capturing something like this....Good work.

    Will

  14. #14
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Beautifully exposed and well composed. Superb PP work Dan, I like it as presented
    Gabriela Plesea

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