I shot piping plover chicks over the weekend. Conditions were cloudy.
Chicks are fun to watch - they move very quickly and are hard to focus on with a long lens and tc as they tend to blend in with the background. Of course, sometimes they blend in with a parent.
D300 600mm with 1.4 tc 1/400 at f 7.1 +7 ev (auto) iso at 900.
I like it. Nice that you captured the rare "octaplover". It looks like some odd science fiction creature.
Nice light, HA, exposure and overall sharpness. Great low angle. I might hit the eye one more time with USM, as it doesn't seem quite as sharp as the bill and wing area.
Might consider cleaning up the debris by the tail.
Great capture of this behavior. If I remember correctly, piping plover chicks can't keep up their body temperature and need to warm up once in a while.
I like the angle and eye contact and would apply some CW rotation. The catchlight looks quite big.
very nice scene. However, I agree with the other, I would also get rid of the debris by the tail...and additionally you have to work on the eye. Because you didnÄt mention flash I assume you put that catch light in the eye. For my taste it's much too big and the eye still looks dead. I would consider to work on the eye seperately, brighten it and then see what you can do. Such a strong catchlight with no visible sun in the image is quite akward.
Wow - what a fun image with all the chicks crowded around. The debris doesn't bother me. Does it need a bit of CW rotation? Could just be a slope in the sand though. Very nice.
Matthew, it was fun shooting the chicks. I have a lot of single chicks in the sand too. Axel, yes, they do this to keep warm. After perhaps three minutes, the parent would squawk, stand up, and the chicks would come out for 7-10 minutes.
Fully agree with Jan on the catchlight. It is dominant and obviously fake reading the conditions of the image.
Despite there is no catchlight on the repost I still like it much better than the original one.
By the way, the image is so sweet and funny.
this is great! very cute, superb low angle and strong composition makes this shot special for me. don't mind debris that much, the surroundings are very clean and the 'octaplover' ;) stands out nicely.
I just love this image. The low angle was essential to seeing what's going on. If I count correctly, there are four little plovers tucked under there. Well-done!! :D
One small criticism, and I do mean small. These little repetitions are a tipoff that Mr. Clone has been in the neighborhood. Most people probably wouldn't notice them. Some (like me) will, though, and the challenge is always to go in and get out like a thief in the night, leaving nary a clue that you were ever there.
Wonderful shot. Very cute with the chicks hiding there. Nice low angle, light, BG, comp. I like the repost, though it is a little tight for my taste. Congratulations.
David, thanks for the mention of cloning. The foreground was messy - I will go back and work some more.
I also agree there needs to be more space at the bottom.
Piping Plover chicks under parent
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