Marbled Godwit

[Enrique Patino]

7D, 300mm + 1.4 TC, 1/2000, F5.6, ISO 400, set manually, partial metering, cropped to vertical + a little leveling

Your feedback is appreciated

[Brendan Dozier]

Really nice one, Enrique. Great pose, exposure, details, and sharpness. Nice soft BG, and leg splashing in foam is a nice touch. Like the vertical frame, and only minor thing I can think of is that the bird's head might be a bit too close to center. Well done!

[Kerry Perkins]

Hi Enrique, nice sharp capture and action! Exposure is just a hair too much for this bright sun, maybe 1/3 stop less would help. I'm curious as to why you cropped this to a vertical. The space on top doesn't do much for the composition, and the bird is running out of the frame to the right. Was your captured horizontal space on the left by any chance? I would prefer to see this as a landscape shot with space on the right for it to run into.

[Enrique Patino]

...why you cropped this to a vertical. The space on top doesn't do much for the composition, and the bird is running out of the frame to the right. Was your captured horizontal space on the left by any chance? I would prefer to see this as a landscape shot with space on the right for it to run into.

Yes, I was just trying it that way... went back and corrected it...

As to the strong light... it was @ 10:30 AM and was my only chance to capture this bird... so I did. But point well taken. I tried toning it down a bit. Do not know if it is enough. Certainly the beak has some very strong highlights. Somehow I think that images in PS and Safari look different in terms of S&H; specially highlights. :2

One of the next things I need to learn is to work on specific areas of an image with PS. Keep reading DB and other resources and trying new things...

Thanks Brendan and Kerry

[Troy Lim]

Enrique, repost is a lot better. It gives some room for the bird to walk into, so do speak.
Just have to try to get out there earlier :)

[Enrique Patino]

Thanks Troy.

I think that part of the problem is than in this OP image I was trying to expose detail under the wings (indirect light) while trying not to overexpose the body with direct light at 10:30 AM.

If I may ask for forgiveness for posting a different picture here (so that I can learn the most out of this thread), I would like to know if you think the bird (taken at the same time) in this second photo has the same problems as the one in the OP... ???

Thanks!