waiting for the restaurant to open

[John Chardine]

At high-tide these Semipalmated Sandpipers at Johnson's Mills, New Brunswick, can't feed because the restaurant is closed. The tide covers up the midflats where their favourite meal- the mudshrip- is going about it's business, unaware that a hunt for them will soon be on.

We have very high, spring tides right now (13m or about 43 ft- the highest in the world) and the birds have almost no beach to roost on, hence here they chose some rocks above the beach.

There was nothing I could do about the sun-angle here because high-tides are in the afternoon right now and that makes for back-lighting at this location. It's quite a public place on weekends so decided not to use flash (although it would not have affected the birds at all). To compensate, I pushed the fill light a little in ACR, then dodged the birds to brighten them up. I cropped very slightly and removed a disembodied wing sticking out of the rock on the left side. I sharpened using Noel Carboni's fractal sharpening action.

I have to admit to being not sure about this image so I am interested in your opinions.

Date: 13 August, 2010, Time: 15:36h
Model: Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Lens: EF500mm f/4L IS USM +1.4x @ 700 mm
Program: Manual
ISO 800, 1/1600s, f/7.1
Exp. comp.: 0.0
Flash: off

[Arthur Morris]

I tried a Linear Burn on the brightest parts of the birds only but the contrast and harsh backlight are just too much for me to deal with. I do like the basics concept and image design.

[Phil Ertel]

Hi John,

Interesting image. I like the sense of depth you obtained with the inclusion of the out-of-focus birds in the foreground. I also like how you have the birds on the rock place in the frame. Having clean space on either side of the birds in focus presents very nicely. The background is very different form most of the presentations I see. I have gone back and forth a few times on whether it works for me or not but finely landed on "I like it".

May I suggest that you might add a couple of black point in selective colors to the blacks and neutrals (might help make it pop).

Thanks for sharing.

[Aidan Briggs]

Cool to see this many semipalmated sandpipers. We are lucky to get two or three of these guys reported the whole year!

I like the specular highlights but as you noted the light is what it is. The oof birds are slightly distracting IMO.

You might have to wait for a foggy day!

[John Chardine]

No Aiden, this is a lot of Semipalmated Sandpipers!

[John Chardine]

I tried a Linear Burn on the brightest parts of the birds only but the contrast and harsh backlight are just too much for me to deal with. I do like the basics concept and image design.

Thanks Artie. I'll have to re-lookup the linear burn method.

[John Chardine]

Hi John,

Interesting image. I like the sense of depth you obtained with the inclusion of the out-of-focus birds in the foreground. I also like how you have the birds on the rock place in the frame. Having clean space on either side of the birds in focus presents very nicely. The background is very different form most of the presentations I see. I have gone back and forth a few times on whether it works for me or not but finely landed on "I like it".

May I suggest that you might add a couple of black point in selective colors to the blacks and neutrals (might help make it pop).

Thanks for sharing.

Phil- Thanks but I'm not quite with you on the black point thing. Could you elaborate a little.

[Phil Ertel]

Hi John, First I should have said add "percent" of black in a selective color layer in photoshop to the black and neutral colors. Sorry if I confused you. I had just finished setting the white and black points in another image and "points" instead of "percent" was stuck in my brain:o. I have provided a screen shot that shows the adjustment Selective Color opened. Note that the neutral color has been selected and the blacks have been set at +4%. Setting the black and neutral from +2% to +5% will often enhance the image. This is something I learned fro Artie. I believe it was in Digital Basics. If this doesn't help let me know and I will try again.

[John Chardine]

Thanks Phil- That one in Ps I hadn't seen! Ps is so deep it would take a lifetime to get to know it well. Now for some testing!

[Aidan Briggs]

Holy cow John! That's sweet!!!