I haven't been out much this summer so I've been revisiting older images to rework them with different techniques. While returning from the UP I found this Upland Sandpiper on a fencepost. I was actually thrilled as that was an image that I'd wanted. The problem was that with the 2XTC on the camera, it was too much and the 1.4XTC was packed up for the trip home. I only had a minute or so, so I took the 2XTC off to get him in the frame, knowing that I'd have to crop more than I'd like. I did get off a couple of frames before he took off. The light was overcast and the BG was a grassy field.
Canon 1DMkIIN, 500mmL IS, beanbag on Jeep window
ISO 400, ss 1/320, f/11
RAW conversion DPP, cropped from a horizontal, levels, USM, and just a touch of Topaz Clean2 only on the bird
I am just taking a shot here but I would say a bit more room on the left would work, I think I would take a bit off the bottom and I wish there was a bit of separation between the wing and head. That being said, I think it is a wonderful image with beautiful color, BG, sharpness, nice and bright, eye contact, feather detail, need I go on? I am reatively new at this so I am trying not to say " this is wonderful", though it is.
Nice to see you posting.
I think Carole did a very nice job of critiquing the image. Since it was a crop, I would consider giving a bit more room on both sides for my taste. The perch is pretty overpowering, and a crop up from the bottom would help, as suggested by Carole. You could even consider resizing the perch so it wasn't so massive.
Your light was lovely, BG too. The merge was mentioned. Do you have any in the series with the wings clear of the head and tail?
Randy
That's as far as the wing stretch went. I got a couple of images with the wings down....and then he was gone. This is the best as far as a head turn goes. Thanks.
Lana, I am a shorebird fan and lover. This post cannot be any better for the my hunger of top quality shorebird images. Awesome. Thanks for making me happy. :)
Super image here Lana, super detail captured and the grassy filed made an excellent BG. the horizontal image could work well here with some more canvass on the right. You have also exposed the bird brilliantly, you could even up the contrast +10 or so without blowing the whites, which would lift the subject off the bg some more... congrats on a super image
Lana,
you've got a really nice one here. This is a shot I have been hoping to get some day too. Exposure, detail, sharpness, HA, are all great as mentioned. I would've liked being a little higher though, so we could see more of the feet.
Congrats on an excellent image!
I've always been a sucker for fence posts as they remind me of the farm where I grew up so I really like them in images. I quickly cropped and just added canvas to make it a horizontal. This image actually took more work than normal to get what I thought was the right color. I tried more/less saturation and more/less contrast but I liked what I posted best but I don't always have the best skills in those areas.
I grew up in Iowa, so I know what you mean about fence posts! But some folks don't have such sophisticated tastes :), so we have to make allowance for them.
I might still add a smide to the left so the tail isn't crowded, just personal preference.
Lana, the repost for me is much better in terms of the comp...congrats. I pulled your image into PS and the saturation there is perfect, it looks as if you are losing a bit when uploading. Worth comparing and checking your color profile before you upload.
Lana, this is a beautiful shot of my #1 favorite bird! I prefer your repost and would like to see a bit more room on the left also. The sharpness, BG and soft light are great!
Hi Lana,
Cool species, great headturn, nice perch and BG. Unfortunate about the rear wing/head merge. Would go for the horizontal crop and more room on the left option, although this might be a personal thing. Great shot nonetheless!
Oh yeah, the repost looks much better as far as comp goes - you could still easily add some canvas at left. It may be just me, but the image seems to have gone through some NR as the plumage looks a bit smoothed over? Any how, good pose. P.S. I don't mind fence posts either! :-)
Lovely image, with a killer BG, sharpness and light.
I have seen this species once, in Sweden actually. That record was a Swedens first and are one of the largest twiches this country have ever seen. I think there was almost 1000 birders there the first morning after it was found.
Upland Sandpiper
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