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Thread: White-winged Tern - breeding plumage

  1. #1
    BPN Viewer Pieter de Waal's Avatar
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    Default White-winged Tern - breeding plumage

    Name:  Tern-Whitewinged---adult-in-breeding-plumage.jpg
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    A small freshwater Tern taken at Marievale Bird Sanctuary before migrating to its breeding grounds in Europe and Northern Asia.

    50D/EF500f4+1.4/f5.6@1/600/iso400/EC-0.33 from hide

    C&C most welcome

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    Lifetime Member Doug Brown's Avatar
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    Challenging exposure handled very well. Good detail throughout. Nice eye contact. Tough composition; I might add a sliver of canvas on the left and a bit more than that on the right.
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    Beautiful photo, but it's cropped a bit too much for me. Although the feather detail is there, it somehow looks a bit soft to me. I'd add a little more sharpening.

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    On my monitor it appears very sharp. Love the background colors. Love the unique pose. I give it a complete thumbs up.

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    I agree with Doug's comment about it being a bit tight in the frame. I like that the black eye is visible in the black head. I also like the variegated BG.
    Andrew

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    Awesome exposure Pieter.

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    Danny J Brown
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    Never seen one of these, Pieter, that I know of at least. I love the pose and the way it is precariously balanced on the tiny perch. Beautiful black head on this little guy. Nice shot.

    DB

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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Wow, wow, wow! Amazingly sharp with amazing details in the blacks. And a killer bird/great pose.

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    Super Moderator Daniel Cadieux's Avatar
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    Details look great on my monitor too! What a beautiful species...and the perching pose is very cool. I agree it is a bit tight in the frame, and I would perhaps soften the the green-to-yellow transition line in front of the bill. Otherwise a big double thumbs up from me!

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    BPN Viewer Pieter de Waal's Avatar
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    Thanks to all of you for your feedback, it is very encouraging coming from the top guns on BPN, I learn with every image posted here.

    Doug, Arthur I do have more room this is about 70% FF and I must change my mindset on composition.

    Daniel I will smooth out the transition line - the background is as captured with some NR.

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    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
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    Hi Pieter, great job on the exposure, especially on the blacks. Sharp, and I like the leaning pose. If anything, I would remove the small second catchlight in the eye. I havent been to Marievale since January, was this a recent shot from there, and if so, how is the place doing?

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    Lifetime Member James Salywoda's Avatar
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    Awesome!!!! It looks sharp on my monitor Pieter that BG really compliments the bird quite nicely really a great shot.

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    BPN Viewer Pieter de Waal's Avatar
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    Thank you James and Stu appreciate your comments.

    Stuart this was taken in April this year, my first visit to Marievale and I was most impressed with thestandard and upkeep, and birds were plentiful. Was back again about a month ago when I collected my 100-400 lens to test. Unfortunately the picnic area had been vandalised and benches in the hide there were missing. Still a lot going on birdwise though and a great place to photograph.

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    Perfectly exposed on my monitor!

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    IOTY Winner 2008 Chris van Rooyen's Avatar
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    Lovely portrait of a White-winged Tern in breeding plumage. I would also suggest some more canvass to the right. I would suggest a slight burning of the whites on the shoulder of the bird.

  16. #16
    BPN Viewer Pieter de Waal's Avatar
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    Thanks Conrad and Chris. Will try a bit of burn on the whites Chris, now that you mention it they are a bit bright to the eye but still below 240.

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