This is a 2 month old loon, it had both parents with it when I imaged it. I tried to get either one or both parents in the frame, but it was next to impossible at the time. Each one would duck under or do a quick head turn the moment I clicked the shutter. So for now...But I will keep trying for a group shot of the family. Please leave constructive comments. Thanks for looking.
Technicals: Canon EOS-1D Mark II N, 8/12/2011 6:09:24 PM, Aperture-Priority AE, Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/1000, Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6, Center-Weighted Average Metering, Exposure Compensation -2/3, ISO 400, Lens EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM, RAW, Flash Off, AI Servo AF, Picture Style Standard. About 85 percent of frame left here. i might print this one for a 12x18. Not sure. Some hot pixels behind the beak area.
Some crop from the bottom would make it a litle less static. Eye is good and sharp and the exposure looks to be fine. Maybe a pano format would give it a bit more room to swim into.
One of the biggest challanges I find working out of the kayak are being able to anticipate what a loon will be doing and where and being in the correct position to achieve an optimum subject angle. Any little bit of wind at all really compounds the issue.
The crop looks too tight here with more room needed behind and a better subject to viewer angle needed as well.
Again, it looks like long lite and that's the toughest to hold the red channel in., with the overall image being really warm and the whites looking over the top.
A slightly wider crop, reducing the contrast, and toning down the yellows would work for me here. Sharp with a good head angle.
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