I came across five of these guys recently, including two in full breeding plumage, during their migration north as they pass through the area. A Ring-billed Gull came close to this guy, and almost hooped onto the log, causing the roosting Bonaparte's to get up higher and spread its wings. I almost clipped the left wing (the one to our right), so I added a bit of canvas there with source material from a subsequent frame. Not a lot, but enough to salvage the composition here.
Canon R6 + 500mm f/4 II + 1.4TC III, manual exposure, evaluative metering, 1/1000s., f/5.6, ISO 800, natural light, handheld, added canvas as per above, a removed brownish-yellow cast caused by the log under the belly via sponge tool (desaturate). The image is technically level, but I did toy with levelling the log, but opted to keep it as is.
Last edited by Daniel Cadieux; 05-29-2023 at 06:21 PM.
Hi Dan ... nice pose of the bird , color and tones looking good to me .
Depending on the time of capture I would go brighter overall .
I do think ... the comp is too tight and the log is not as attractive .
Details look great Dan. First thing that caught my eye is the square cut on the log, something you have no control over same as the leg as mentioned. Good job on the canvas. Love the open wings and the brightness of the legs. TFS
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Bonaparte's Gull Wing Spread.
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