Surf Scoter

[BillTyler]

Surf scoter at Moss Landing, CA. I've cropped very tightly because I like the in-your-face feel. Comments and criticisms welcome.

Bill

Canon 7D
1/640
f/8
ISO 400
Canon 500mm f/4 + 1.4x

[Lance Peters]

Hi Bill - difficult in anything but soft light - whites are on the edge and some of the blacks look a little lacking in detail.
Like the pose and the composition- - good low shooting angle.
Good show :)

[Michael Gerald-Yamasaki]

Bill,

Greetings. Moss Landing... I've shot there often... A little tight on the composition for my taste. Though to get the whites and the blacks just right, maybe a little faster ss to stop motion?

Cheers,

-Michael-

[Alfred Forns]

Fully agree with comments !!!

Crop wise might need a little room around the bird but is just personal taste, no right or wrong !!! Excellent comment about the shutter speed, for these birds flapping would sacrifice dof which won't be much any way, and go for the speed !!! Excellent image !!

[Dave Mills]

Hi Bill, agree with advice given. I would open the image up some more. This colored bird you need just the right light angle to pull those details out of the dark areas...

[BillTyler]

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. I've "uncropped" a bit, and played with curves to try to get more detail in the blacks. I can't do much about shutter speed at this point. Result is attached.

Bill