Sharp-tailed Sandpipers

[Jon Thornton]

Nikon D300, Nikon 200-400mm VR, TC14-E teleconverter, home made hide, beanbag.
ISO 400, f/8, 1/640th sec. EV +1/3.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I like the composition, reflection, angle and details. I wish both birds would have looked at you and might clone out the dark spots at the top.

[Arthur Morris]

Lovely light, REFLs, and SH. The bird on our left needed to turn its head to its right so as to nearly parallel the head angle of the bird on the right. As is, the juxtaposition of the two heads (with the bill of the rear bird nearly touching the head of the front bird) simply does not work.

[Jon Thornton]

Arthur, in this case I agree with you about the angle of the left bird's head. I would have preferred the head arrangement you described too.

Just out of interest, do you think eye contact is always a good thing? I've got some thoughts on this, but I don't want to pre-empt you answer.

[Arthur Morris]

Hi Jon, Eye contact and head angle are two completely different animals. Your image above is a perfect example: the bird in the back is making eye contact with the viewer yet its head angle is all wrong (but only for this image design).

I am no big fan of what folks refer to as "eye contact." For me, it is all about head angle and I do not generally care what or who the bird is looking at. That said, if the head angle is good there is generally some sort of eye contact.

[Ramon M. Casares]

Terrific comp and light, nice BG poses and reflection, I would only try to tone down the whites an to lighten the dark areas of the BG. I agree with what Axel and Arthur said. Congratulaitons!