At Rest At Sunset

[Jim Fenton]

At Sunset in Plymouth MA

Nikon D300s, 600VR, TC14EII, ISO 500, f6.3, 1/800, NearUniWB, CW Metering, +.7 EV

[Mike Milicia]

Wonderful image, Jim!
Beautiful light and water, great resting pose and peaceful mood, and the rock with reflection is a nice touch!

The only thing that doesn't work for me is the crop/comp.
I'd like to see about the same amount of negative space to the right of the bird as there is to the left of the rock.
Would also trade a bit more room at the bottom for a bit less at the top.

[Robert Amoruso]

Jim,

The bird is perfect as is the calmness of the water. Head angle good, catch light good and great detail in the feathers. Compositionally, I agree with Mike that the image is unbalanced with the bird so close to the edge. Though I do like the idea of juxtaposing the bird with something, I would have preferred not too have seen a rock but another bird in the same position. The rock just is not that interesting compared to the bird. Given the calmness of the water, it seems you would have had a perfect reflection and that combined with a vertical of the bird would have been a stronger image to me.

[Jim Fenton]

Hi Mike...

I did try some different crops and did have more room at the right but to my eyes, it took away from the emphasis of the subject.

I'll give it another go when I have some time and my new monitor arrives as this one is on the fritz.

[Jim Fenton]

Hi Robert...

I was lying prone and while I too would have liked another bird,after 45 minutes with the sun going down, they just didn't come into the frame.

Observations tell me that these birds like to have some object close by to them when resting in water like this...typically it's an unsightly pile of wrack debris, but since it is something they relate to, I thought it gave a realistic representation.

I didn't have much more room at the bottom as below the current bottom, there was some dark colored sand that intersected the reflection. In some of the images recorded from a further distnace away, I may be able to pull out a clean reflection and present it as a vertical.

[Aidan Briggs]

Hey Jim, I actually like the rock. As you mentioned, shorebirds like to huddle up next to rocks, driftwood, and seaweed, so it shows their behavior well. Nice light and pose. I would also like more room on the bottom, but it sounds like it wasn't really possible.

[Robert Amoruso]

Hi Robert...

I was lying prone and while I too would have liked another bird,after 45 minutes with the sun going down, they just didn't come into the frame.

Observations tell me that these birds like to have some object close by to them when resting in water like this...typically it's an unsightly pile of wrack debris, but since it is something they relate to, I thought it gave a realistic representation.

I didn't have much more room at the bottom as below the current bottom, there was some dark colored sand that intersected the reflection. In some of the images recorded from a further distnace away, I may be able to pull out a clean reflection and present it as a vertical.

Thanks for the feedback. It is very easy for me to say this or that but not knowing the situation, it is sometimes hard to judge why certain decisions where made in composing. Your thoughts help me and others understand the creative decisions and how and why they are made.

Interesting observation on them wanting to be near something while roosting. I can't say that I have notice that here in Florida much. And I certainly understand waiting for that perfect moment to occur.