Double-crested Cormorant

[Indranil Sircar]

This is from a week ago... It is pretty hard to get these cormorants head-on unless I am in a hide. For this image, I positioned myself against a pole on their path as they typically fly out every evening from one of the local salt ponds. The cormorant did notice me finally and swerved away but not before I got few images! Here are the settings -

7D, EF 70-200 F4 IS +1.2x @ 280mm hand held
1/400 sec, f/8 Mode: Av Metering: Evaluative ISO: 400

I wish my shutter speed was higher to freeze the wing. Given the focus on the face, does the wings matter. Could I have gone for a closer crop? Your C&C will be appreciated.

[Thanaboon Jearkjirm]

Good job on getting the focus right on the head, and nice planning on getting the head on shot just like what you wanted. Since the focus is on the head I wouldn't mind the wing blurred. Also nice evening sky in the background and like how the late warm sun illuminates the cormorant head. For composition I might try to see how the more pano crop come out.

[Julie Kenward]

Indranil, that head on face view is great! For my tastes, you do lose me on the wings though. They are so blurred compared to the head that they don't really retain the same "feel". I'm also thinking a pano crop might work but it's nicely presented in frame. Have you tried bringing up the midtones at all? The image feels a little dark overall - I'm guessing from the color this was taken near sunset?

[Indranil Sircar]

K. Thanaboon, thanks for the feedback. Good suggestion on the pano. Here is a repost...

[Indranil Sircar]

Indranil, that head on face view is great! For my tastes, you do lose me on the wings though. They are so blurred compared to the head that they don't really retain the same "feel". I'm also thinking a pano crop might work but it's nicely presented in frame. Have you tried bringing up the midtones at all? The image feels a little dark overall - I'm guessing from the color this was taken near sunset?

Hi Julie, I have been in two minds about the wing to keep it or chop it off. Here is another post with a different crop although the IQ suffers. This was taken close to sunset. I did push the midtones up a bit. Does this work better?

[Julie Kenward]

Now I think you've lost the clarity in the face - I'd go back to the OP but move those midtones up.

[Indranil Sircar]

Now I think you've lost the clarity in the face - I'd go back to the OP but move those midtones up.

Here is a repost...