Surf Scoter

[Axel Hildebrandt]

These guys tend to be a little skittish most of the time. Since I was just sitting without moving he got used to me and this is pretty much full frame. I made it at Barnegat Light a few weeks ago.



1D4, 500f4, 1.4x, 1/1600s, f/8, ISO 400

[Myer Bornstein]

Axel
Great capture of these skittish birds. Barnegat Light seems to be a great place for seabird photography

[Grace Scalzo]

ah, perfect sunny 16. Super image, Alex. They eye contact and the little drops on his back complete this.

[Juan Aragonés]

I can not take my eyes apart from that striking head design Axel and that fantastic and vivid eye. Exposure is just killer with lots of details in the blacks and in the whites. Axel´s trademark ;)

[Stu Bowie]

Yep, that beak sure is multi-coloured, and well done with the exposure on the plumage. Love the catch light in the droplets.

[Manjesh Lingamurthy]

Hi Axel

Nice shot with good details on the bird. Because of the head angle, I prefer a little more tighter crop from the top and the right.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Hi Axel

Nice shot with good details on the bird. Because of the head angle, I prefer a little more tighter crop from the top and the right.

Thanks, Manjesh! I usually leave a little room for the bird to fly/swim into, hence the slightly wider crop.

[Alan Lillich]

Beautiful overall, great black feather detail. I love the foot visible in the water, it adds a hint of life and motion, the red foot echos the red beak. In a perfect world it would be nice to have a looser crop on the bottom, so the head reflection was not hitting the edge. But I'm not one to complain, I regularly cut shadows or reflections in the heat of the moment.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Beautiful overall, great black feather detail. I love the foot visible in the water, it adds a hint of life and motion, the red foot echos the red beak. In a perfect world it would be nice to have a looser crop on the bottom, so the head reflection was not hitting the edge. But I'm not one to complain, I regularly cut shadows or reflections in the heat of the moment.

Thanks, Alan! This is an interesting point. I have more room at the bottom but since the reflection is less than perfect, I cropped it without the entire reflection.

[Ryan Schain]

Axel,

Fantastic image (as always). I agree with the above comment about bringing back the rest of the reflection (however imperfect it may be). Water droplets are excellent, and your colors and exposure (again as always), are right on the money. Maybe I'll see you again there someday next time I'm at my parents in NJ.