Landing

[BillTyler]

I tracked this GBH as it glided towards the landing. Here it's just touched down.

Canon 7D
Canon 500mm f/4 + 1.4x extender
1/400, f/7.1
ISO 400

This is a small crop from the full frame. Processed in Lightroom, PS, and Noise Ninja - cropping, curves, dodge tool, noise reduction and sharpening.

Comments welcome.

Bill

[Ken Bryan]

Very nice image, Bill. I'd like to see him have a little more breathing room on the left side of the image, giving him a place to go. Overall a real appealing shot!

[Lance Peters]

Hi Bill - like the outstretched wings, good HA and eye contact. A little more room on the LHS would be good and if you were so inclined - I would clean up the dark patches of water in the BG - particularly the one that intersects the neck.
Like it a lot - timed it well.
Good show :)

[Peter Farrell]

Excellent timing. I like the 'ballet' pose. I agree with Lance about the dark BG areas but I like this comp as is.
Peter

[Dave Mills]

Agree with more on the left. Good detail in the wings.

[Harold Davis]

light angle, light angle, light angle!! get the sun behind you and you will lose the shadows on the bird. you had the sun on the left and that left the bird's face underexposed as compared to the underwing. i think that and the eye are the most important parts to get lit. as is, agree with the others. needs more canvas of the left.

[Oscar Zangroniz]

Another vote for more room to the left. Great stretched wing position and soft light.

[BillTyler]

Thanks very much for all the comments. I've expanded the crop a bit on the left. The light angle was not something I could control in this case. To get direct sun, I would have had to go to an area of the preserve that is off-limits for humans.

Bill