Backlit tern experiment

[Bill Dix]

Terns were fishing east of me on the incoming morning tide, so I tried a backlit shot as an experiment. OK, so I know about the head angle, which will relegate this to the trash bin. :( But the question is, IF the HA had been good, could this have been made into a keeper (what with the noise in the darker areas), or can this sort of shot not be pulled off without fill flash.

D90 | 80-400 VR @ 400mm | ISO 640 | 1/4000s @ f/7.1 | -0.3 EV | HH

[Thanaboon Jearkjirm]

Assume that the HA had been good, if there was a bit of right light round the head/beak and the eye can be seen then it is a keeper for me. Noise can be deal with to a degree.

[John Chardine]

Bill- I think subtle use of flash would have really helped here. To my mind the image is crying out for some light on the head and breast. I like the idea here though, and a good HA and eye contact would have been a positive distraction.

[Bill Dix]

Bill- I think subtle use of flash would have really helped here. To my mind the image is crying out for some light on the head and breast. I like the idea here though, and a good HA and eye contact would have been a positive distraction.

Thanks John. That's pretty much the way I was looking at it. I could try to brighten up the breast and head, and attempt some NR, but I don't think that would have been a substitute for what should have been a fill flash shot.