The One That Didn't Get Away

[Chris Martinez]

I had a ball watching and shooting this Bar-tailed Godwit running after the prawn. He/she was at one stage being chased by another Godwit and there was a bunch of Silver Gulls keeping a close eye on the action.

1DMKIV, 600mm IS, 1.4x II

ISO 800, f/8, 1/800, +2/3. (triple 8:D)

The image is essentially untouched apart from selective sharpening. After sliding the brightening midtones in ACR I saved to Jpeg but that resulted in too bright an image so I brought back the midtones to pretty much where it was in the original RAW file.

[Arthur Morris]

It's a flying shrimp. I would take 1/3 off the bottom and then crop so that the bill is perfectly centered. I like the raised foot and the out of place feather.

[Aidan Briggs]

Good advice from Artie, and I agree on the cropping. I like the low angle, pose, and shrimp. Sharpness and exposure are spot on too!

Keep them coming!

[Chris Martinez]

Thanks Arthur:D I balked at removing more of the OOF foreground as I have done on similar images(after previous suggestions from yourself the good folk here on the forum). I realize now(finally sunk in!!) that it is dead space and need to pay more attention to the foreground in photos resulting from low shooting angles. I won't let it happen again :o

Cheers, Aidan!

Hope this is what envisioned.

[Arthur Morris]

Much better but I would still take more off from our left so that the bill is perfectly centered. (There is some sort of center indicator when you are cropping.)

As for the foreground, all that you need to do is ask, is this area adding anything to the image? If the answer is not it needs to go.

YAW.

[Chris Martinez]

I thought it was centered. I used the grid and even measured with a tape measure. The image is 155mm long on my screen and the middle of the bill is 73mm from the left hand side. 0.5mm off dead center. I'll give it another go.

Thanks again:)

[Arthur Morris]

I thought it was centered. I used the grid and even measured with a tape measure. The image is 155mm long on my screen and the middle of the bill is 73mm from the left hand side. 0.5mm off dead center. I'll give it another go.

Thanks again:)

Chris, I was amazed to see that the bill is centered in the image in Pane #4; it must be some sort of optical illusion.

Here is a screen capture showing the tiny cursor in the center from side to side when the crop tool is activated. (I put a tiny red dot on the cursor as it was very difficult to see in the JPEG.) It is easy to see in Photoshop.

[Arthur Morris]

And here is the crop that I meant to suggest :)

[Nate Chappell]

:cool:A unique action shot Chris, very cool!

[Chris Martinez]

And here is the crop that I meant to suggest :)

Cheers Arthur :p

[Chris Martinez]

:cool:A unique action shot Chris, very cool!

Thanks Nate!