Safe and sound

[Grace Scalzo]

The skimmer colony can be a dangerous place and we thought that this chick was doomed when it wandered away from its parent. However, it found its way back, and quickly found a safe place under the parent's wing.
Nice evening out shooting with Lou and Terry.

1/250, f8, ISO 400, flash ettl-2 (AV mode)
1dmk2nm 500 + 2x + tripod lowered

[Ramon M. Casares]

Could something be more cute? Ha! Love the scene! Also the composition and ambient arround them, the only thing I woul've done, is to add a sparkle in the adult's left (to us) eye. Lovely moment! Congratulations!

[Steve Canuel]

Hi Grace,
Nice capture. The contented safe look on the chick's face along with the protective cover of the wing make this one. I agree with Ramon about a little light on that eye.
Steve

[Vincent Grafhorst]

Very cute Grace! A good behavioural image. I like Ramon's suggestion about the catchlight.

[Mike Lentz]

Grace, what you have captured in this image is absolutely priceless! Beautiful!!

[Fabs Forns]

Adorable, the protection is so evident here! I know this is muted, last light, but perhaps you could select the darker eye and lift the exp a little bit?

[Grace Scalzo]

Thanks everyone, first for looking and secondly for your comment about the eye. When I was processing this, I gave some thought to adding a catchlight, but if you notice, the parent's head is turned ever so slightly to the chick (see the beak angle) and the eye did not pick up any light at all in the scene. So that is why I did not monkey with it. However, the fact that so many comments came my way about this, I will look throught the series and see if there is another image with both eyes lit. Thanks again.

[Arthur Morris]

Certainly cute as is, but pointing the lens a bit to the left so as to include the whole plant on the left frame-edge might have been a good option, as might have been getting a few inches higher. Using more flash will help open up the blocked blacks..