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Thread: First Loon of 2011 here in my area of Maine

  1. #1
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    Default First Loon of 2011 here in my area of Maine

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    We have had some bad news for the Loons, high water levels have drowned most babies or caused moms not to lay eggs and nest in the first place. So no new baby pictures this year. This my first time on the ponds in 3 years! These 2 adult loons came to within 30 feet of my kayak. The light was muted with moderate cloud cover and some winds. It made for some difficult imaging. Here are the specs:

    Camera Model Canon EOS-1D Mark II N, Shooting Date/Time: 7/18/2011 2:458 PM, Shooting Mode: Aperture-Priority AE, Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/400, Av( Aperture Value ) 2.8, Metering Mode: Center-Weighted Average Metering, Exposure Compensation -1/3, ISO 200, Lens EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM, RAW, Flash Off, White Balance Mode Auto, AI Servo AF, Sharpness 3.

    Let me know what you think!

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    Very sad to hear about the news...

    Like the pose, the HA, the sharpness and very good control of blacks and whites. Just wish the bird stand out a bit more from the dark green background.

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    Quite a beautiful image. The eye is riviting. I like the slight wake in front and the head angle. Glad to see loons from you again Grady. This image really works for me as presented, as I don't find the background too dark on my monitor at all.

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    Forum Participant Joe Senzatimore's Avatar
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    I like this one alot. Comp. and exposur are fine. Might try to lighten the head just a bit.

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    Hi,

    I agree completely with Thanaboom. The Loon problem around here is that the chicks get eaten by Bald eagles!

    Richard

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    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
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    Grady:

    So glad to hear you got out again with your beloved loons. I am sad to hear about the washed out nests. In the area I shoot, there were predation problems and the adults abandoned the first nest, but got one chick out of the second.

    I took the liberty of a little work on your image. I tend to like darker images as your original, but thought I could tease out a little more detail in head and neck area, and help the bird stand out a bit more from the BG with a little work. I also made a minor tweak on what I saw as a slight green color cast.

    Hope to see more from you soon.

    Cheers

    Randy
    MY BPN ALBUMS

    "Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy" Sir Isaac Newton

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    Loons are beautiful! You are lucky to have them near you.

    This is a very nice image. I do wish it was a bit sharper. The dark green BG is lovely.

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    Thanks for all the comments! Loons are very intriguing creatures and a real joy to see, hear and photograph.

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