Skimmer Skimming

[Michael Wolf]

Black Skimmer Rynchops niger
Canon Mark III | Canon 300 2.8 IS | Handheld
1/1250 @ 6.3 | ISO 500

I found this beauty working the coastline and I was pleased
to capture the wings in a forward position.
I wish the light was a little softer but I am happy overall.

[Erich Stevens]

Michael,

You really froze the action well and at just the right moment too. A terrific example of skimmers doing what skimmers do. Great work! I haven't been to the beach since I got into bird photography. Me thinks I need to go.

[Thanaboon Jearkjirm]

Good eye contact with nice detail in the blacks aroudn the head. Love the forward wing position. The space at the top give me the feeling that this image wear capture near the shore where the water is still narrow.

[Deborah Harrison]

Lovely capture - I've never quite got them at the right moment and right angle. Would be interested to know what settings you used on your Mark III - in spite of all the updates and following Artie's guidelines, I still find the camera focuses faster on a single shot than on servo! This is a nice example of what the camera can do.

[Rich Steel]

Hi Michael

You capture a great piece of action and pose of the bird. The slight blur of the wings tips adds to the sense of movement. Despite the hard light you exposed the blacks and white very well. I would consider prehaps some cropping some off the top of the image., prehaps down to just behind the breaking wave.

Cheers

Rich

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I like the skimming action, eye contact and setting. I might crop a bit off the top and tone down the highlights a bit more.

[Hugh J McLaughlin]

Looks like a perfect exposure with good detail in the whites and the blacks, Michael.

[Doug Brown]

You handled the light well and got a very sharp image. I'd be tempted to crop a bit off the top and add some canvas on the left. I would tone down the highlights a little and also make the blacks a little darker.

[Doug Brown]

Hi Deborah. In my experience the Mark III focuses pretty darn fast in AI Servo. I use center point focus. And I have C.Fn III-2 set to slow. Can't remember the other settings but I'll post them later.

[Deborah Harrison]

Hi Deborah. In my experience the Mark III focuses pretty darn fast in AI Servo. I use center point focus. And I have C.Fn III-2 set to slow. Can't remember the other settings but I'll post them later.

Thanks Doug - although I have the focus search off and have played with all the settings there are certain instances when I would be able to capture the image in one shot (although not track) whereas the servo image was still hunting. I know every setting intimately - I had to in order to get my first Mark 3 replaced so it is not a question of my settings. It irritates me that my husband hits it first time with his Nikon D300 whereas it's hit or miss in my case!!! NO, I'm not ready to switch over, the ergonomics of the Canon are better in my hands and I understand the functions inside out....except they don't always function! Would be interested to learn your settings, I bought Artie's guide but that came out in the early days when we were all still experimenting.

[Ramon M. Casares]

Nice pose indeed and great detal and colors, I agree woth you about light and also would've been great if you could get lower.
Very nice though.\ as the pose is unusual.
Congratulations.

[Fabs Forns]

Great capture, Michael, I love the wing and eye contact.

[Ryan Lambert]

Action very well captured here, I'm not sure if it was possible but a slightly lower angle would have really made this a winner imo...very well captured none-the-less...