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Thread: American Oystercatcher pulling on seaweed.

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    Super Moderator Daniel Cadieux's Avatar
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    Default American Oystercatcher pulling on seaweed.

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    This very cooperative young oystercatcher had just caught a Marine Worm, and in the process a seaweed got stuck in its bill. It managed to swallow the worm but the weed was abit more difficult to get rid of. It pulled and tugged on it, until it figured out that washing it away by dipping its bill in the water was an easier way to do it.

    Canon 40D + 100-400L @ 400mm, manual exposure, evaluative metering, 1/250s., f/6.3, ISO 800 (settings histogram checked), natural light (overcast, rainy), handheld, FF (love the 100-400's close MFD!!)

    I'm thinking of adding a bit more canvas above....

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    Good exp and I like the droplets on the body...Bill sharp and I like the dark on the yellow eye parts...Seaweed and droplets add

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    Great IQ at 1/250 HH.
    Exposure seems perfect, good detail in both blacks and whites,but of course your shots always are!
    Good comp this way, but I think you might be right about adding just a bit to the top.
    Great shot, TFS.

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    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
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    Daniel:

    Nice techs, but its the bit of seaweed that adds the little extra spark here. I am always struck by the iris pigmentation on this species, and your image shows this well. Often it looks like the pupil is distorted, but you can clearly tell here that the pupil is circular, and the extra dark area on the iris are just pigmentation.

    I agree about a bit more at the top.

    Cheers

    Randy
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    I like the exposure, sharpness, details and seaweed. I agree with a little more room up top. Well done as usual Daniel!

  6. #6
    Brendan Dozier
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    Nice composition, Daniel. Great exposure, and I the seaweed really does add interest.
    Agree about adding canvas at top. Nicely done!

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    Daniel, I am liking the tightness but little canvas will work too. loved the exposure. good job on getting parallel. compositionally, very strong.

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    Hi,

    Superb image - sharp, good low angle, nice eye contact, and I agree that the seaweed really adds to it. Personally I would like to see a slightly less tight crop to the right, with a bit more of the neck/ body showing.

    Richard

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    With Kaus, I note the strong exposure--you made good use of the overcast sky. I'm wondering why the seaweed ends abruptly at the bottom of the canvas. I like your composition too; the oystercatcher looks like someone's hand puppet inserted into the frame. Where were you? You say you like your MFD: how short is it exactly? How close were you to the oystercatcher?

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    Super Moderator Daniel Cadieux's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Craig Brelsford View Post
    With Kaus, I note the strong exposure--you made good use of the overcast sky. I'm wondering why the seaweed ends abruptly at the bottom of the canvas. I like your composition too; the oystercatcher looks like someone's hand puppet inserted into the frame. Where were you? You say you like your MFD: how short is it exactly? How close were you to the oystercatcher?
    Hi Craig, thanks! The seaweed was all the way down to the water and it is cut abruptly by the lower edge of the frame. I was at Estero Lagoon (Ft. Myers, Florida). The MFD of the 100-400 is about 6 feet, and that is how close to the oystercatcher I was (I lay on the beach and it approched me as it foraged for food).

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    BPN Viewer Mark Young's Avatar
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    Lovely composition. I like the bit of weed hanging off the end of the bill.

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