This in from a year ago. It was a beautiful day and I got many pictures of the Black Skimmers. They are amazing birds and fun to photograph. But they are very difficult for me to get a satisfactory image of. The black and white color combination is a real problem for me. I cropped the image minimally, used some luminance and contrast and sharpening. I also brightened the eye. Does it look like I was working with a :"good" image to begin with? And what further processing might I have done to improve?
Hi Wendell From a composition point I wold like to see more of that wake which will change the proportion ( enhances motion) The image is sharp and you panned well with the bird. Would increase the ISO to 400 for safety !!
Exposure wise it is just over. As you pointed out these b&w birds are difficult. Good soft light is about the only way to really nail them. As presented you do have enough shadow detail at the expense of blowing the whites but I feel its a pleasing image. You could go back to the RAW and do a double conversion to bring detail in the whites.
Nest time you run into these guys with bright light might try doing some blurs, might need a neutral density filter in order to lower the shutter speed enough without having to shoot at f 22 !! Worth the effort !!!
Hi Alfred. Appreciate your helpful comments. Your critical observations are always helpful, and help take me towards another level . . . someday i'll get there.
Skimmin' along
