Early Morning Light Juvie Skimmer

[Arthur Morris]

This image was created on my late August Long Island visit at Nickerson Beach with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/7.1 Gitzo 3530 LS splayed flat with the Mongoose M3.5.

Did not see much sun for more than a week after I made this image :)

Don't be shy; all comments welcome.

[Sidharth Kodikal]

When I see images like this, I can't decide whether to get inspired or simply give up. sigh!
Superb light, pose, exposure, bg, and what a fine specimen. Love everything about this image.

[Gary Esman]

Sharp, well exposed...of course. Any special treatment to make the background fade out so fast? Bird pops off the screen. Gary.

[Randy Stout]

Artie:

Very nice, nice display of the juvi plumage, open bill, lovely light, exposure, sharpness, clean BG. Is the catchlight natural?

Gary, I suspect the background is the beneficiary of a very long lens and low shooting angle more than post work.


Cheers

Randy

[Arthur Morris]

Sharp, well exposed...of course. Any special treatment to make the background fade out so fast? Bird pops off the screen. Gary.

Randy is correct in part in that nothing was done in post processing to the BKGR--it looks as it did right out of camera. But the main factor in producing beautifully blurred backgrounds is the distance from the subject to the BKGR. The great that distance, the softer the BKGR. The primary roll of focal length with regards to BKGR is simply the fact that the narrow angle of view reduces the amount of stuff that you see back there (if that makes sense).

[Arthur Morris]

When I see images like this, I can't decide whether to get inspired or simply give up. sigh! Superb light, pose, exposure, bg, and what a fine specimen. Love everything about this image.

Thank you sir for your kind words. I often feel the same way when viewing many of the great images posted here.

[annmpacheco]

Artie, this bird caught my eye, I like everything about "him!" He's so handsome I'd invite him for dinner, oyster stew of course! thanks, sooo beautiful.

[Joerg Rockenberger]

Great moment captured especially as the skimmer's body appears to be slightly angled away from you and the look back was critical for the image to work. The yawn/call of course puts it over the top. Background and sharpness are fantastic. There is a lack of details in the black feathers though and I am surprised you didn't remove the half dozen white shell pieces on the beach... :)

JR

[Paul Randall]

Lighting, colours, sharpness...all look beautiful. I wish we had this species in my neck of the woods.
My preference would be for a little more FG included in the image. Love the strip of green at top of frame, sets the other colours off nicely.

Is the catchlight natural?

I think you missed this question:o
Looks like its natural from where I'm sitting, is that right?

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Paul, As seen here, the catchlight is natural. Thanks all for your kind words. Yes to maybe a fraction more on the bottom.

[Arthur Morris]

Great moment captured especially as the skimmer's body appears to be slightly angled away from you and the look back was critical for the image to work. The yawn/call of course puts it over the top. Background and sharpness are fantastic. There is a lack of details in the black feathers though and I am surprised you didn't remove the half dozen white shell pieces on the beach... :) JR

As I have written often I do not have a good eye for fine detail. I love the image and am sure that there would be zero quality issues say with Corbis.... I did do a bit of beach clean-up as you can see from the image in Pane #10. And again as I have written and been doing recently, I am trying to get away from making every image BKGR-perfect....

[Kiran Poonacha]

Beautifully done Guruji, nice HA with that open beak, nice angle and the two tone BG adds well....

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

very well done, Artie. Good head turn and bill fully open is not an easy combination. This is superb.

[Stu Bowie]

A better pose, you couldnt ask for. Open beak, soft light, and overall nice and sharp. I would maybe crop a tad off the top to eliminate some of the green. I dont believe it will affect the overall comp.

[James Salywoda]

Awesome! Great low angle nice head turn and open bill I like the hint of color on top a beautiful image.

[Ben_Sadd]

I normally have issues with skimmers on land, and I often find them looking a bit ungainly and out of proportion. However, I love this one. The open beak with the body and head angle makes it for me. Fantastic. The only thing that did jump out at me was, as Joerg mentioned,the solid blacks at the back.

And, in relation to some of the things said above, this image is so superb, it doesn't make me want to give up, but rather to get out and make pictures. This being despite the fact i will not reach the quality that you show Artie, but because seeing images like this give me enjoyment and pleasure.

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

Hola maestro!

Good to see you posting a small jpeg. of the RAW capture, great optimization and what a nice bird! the green line above is very appealing to my eye and the open beak is a plus.

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

. And again as I have written and been doing recently, I am trying to get away from making every image BKGR-perfect....

Two thumbs up!

[Joerg Rockenberger]

As I have written often I do not have a good eye for fine detail. I love the image and am sure that there would be zero quality issues say with Corbis.... I did do a bit of beach clean-up as you can see from the image in Pane #10. And again as I have written and been doing recently, I am trying to get away from making every image BKGR-perfect....

I love the image too and believe you that it would have been readily accepted by Corbis or similar. But BPN and you are raising the standards, especially by critiquing. :) Though I always wonder when you mention that you have no good eye for fine detail because you come across as a very detail-oriented person... :)

My comment was actually somewhat tongue in cheek as I personally don't mind some distractions if they emphasize a natural environment but you often tend to prefer a more clinical look based on your critiques and descriptions of how you cleaned up your images. Sorry if it didn't come over. Looking forward to more of your messy images... Big four cheeks grin...:D

And having now successfully torpedoed my non-existent photographer's career... Good night! Best, JR

[Arthur Morris]

Hi JR,

re:

I love the image too and believe you that it would have been readily accepted by Corbis or similar. But BPN and you are raising the standards, especially by critiquing. :)

Not sure what you mean by the latter....


Though I always wonder when you mention that you have no good eye for fine detail because you come across as a very detail-oriented person... :)

Here is how I have explained it: If I am looking at three prints of the same file from a distance of three feet, I might say "They all look good to me.: Other would be shouting about slight differences in color or edge pixilation. The I would learn that one of the prints cost $5, one $50, and one $500. I do have a good eye for shape and form and composition and for small distracting things, but not for fine detail, say fine detail in black feathers.


My comment was actually somewhat tongue in cheek as I personally don't mind some distractions if they emphasize a natural environment but you often tend to prefer a more clinical look based on your critiques and descriptions of how you cleaned up your images.

Clinical is your choice of words. When I judge various elements to be distracting, I get rid of them. In this image the bits of shell that I left were tiny.

Sorry if it didn't come over.

No sweat.

Looking forward to more of your messy images... Big four cheeks grin...:D

Messy doesn't work well for me and I surely would not call this one messy :)

[Arthur Morris]

I normally have issues with skimmers on land, and I often find them looking a bit ungainly and out of proportion. However, I love this one. The open beak with the body and head angle makes it for me. Fantastic. The only thing that did jump out at me was, as Joerg mentioned,the solid blacks at the back.

And, in relation to some of the things said above, this image is so superb, it doesn't make me want to give up, but rather to get out and make pictures. This being despite the fact i will not reach the quality that you show Artie, but because seeing images like this give me enjoyment and pleasure.

Ben, Thanks for your kind words. I am confused by what you mean when you mention the "solid blacks at the back." Please explain.

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Love the perspective and the pose. I like it as presented very much. :)

[Ben_Sadd]

I am confused by what you mean when you mention the "solid blacks at the back." Please explain.

Artie,
Sorry I should have been more specific. I was referring to the same black feathers as Joerg. However, having looked around at several other juvenile skimmer images this evening, few of them show much detail in these feathers.