African Skimmer

[gail bisson]

Canon 7D
F4 500mm
ISO 800
SS 1/1600
F 4.0
cropped left and top by 10% each side
The 7d proved very unforgiving in all my images of this bird. Sooo... much noise because of dark feathers and high ISO for 7D.
PLEASE SANTA - send me a 1D Mark IV I have been a good girl...well except for the speeding ticket I got yesterday

Comments and critiques always learned from and appreciated
PP in LR# and NR done in CS5
Should I sharpen a bit more? But then I might introduce more noise.

[Doug Brown]

Love the smooth BG that provides a nice sense of habitat. I like the open bill, but wish for a better head angle and far wing position. The 7D can be tough on underexposed blacks, and the Mark IV is much better in that regard. Santa may forgive the speeding ticket, so don't lose hope!

[Richard Stern]

Hi Gail,

I don't think you need to sharpen any more, but I feel the whites are too hot and lacking in detail, the red on the bill is almost glowing too much, and the bird is rather small in the frame. The IQ in the feathering isn't all that great, perhaps because of distance and noise. I actually can't think of a good way to correct those issues without a heavier crop, which would indeed degrade the image further. Pity, as otherwise I like the bird, and the position of the lower mandible in relation to the near wing. I'm not a Canon dSLR user (although I have a G12 p&s which I love) so I can't comment on the different camera bodies, but I hope Santa brings you what you want!

Richard

[Randy Stout]

Gail:

Good input from Doug and Richard. My sense is that the whites as displayed aren't over exposed, but there certainly isn't much detail showing in them. Did you have to do recovery on the whites?

While you are asking Santa for a MkIV, see if he has a D4 tucked away in there as well.


Cheers

Randy

[arash_hazeghi]

I like the BG and the open beak, the whites look hot and the detail is a bit lacking, but overall the main issue for me is bird's head and body being angled away from us with rather flat far wing position. I hear you, the 7D struggles with DR for birds like skimmers, if you have the money don't hesitate for a second getting a MK4. A good and enthusiastic photographers like you certainly deserves one, I hope you can get one soon

[annmpacheco]

I say Merry Christmas and get shopping. Keep working hard! Wonderful adventure you are on...

[wendell westfall]

A lower ISO might help . . . Christmas is coming, Gail.

[gail bisson]

A lower ISO might help . . . Christmas is coming, Gail.

But if I lower the ISO I can't get my SS high enough to freeze the bird in flight+ I always try to have an EV of at least +1 on these dark birds. Better to have a noisy pic than a blurred pic! Someday there will be software that will fix noise and keep detail perfectly, so I will hang on to these pics and hope!!
Gail

[Dan Busby]

Most pros and cons already siad. I actually don't see much noise as posted. For me it's mainly wishing the bird was aiming toward us rather than away.

[Dan Behm]

Gail,
I like the habitat you included in this shot, The open Bill falling in front of the wing and head turn are enough for me I think the shot works, I like the topside view here as well. I hope Santa is listening and brings you your 1D4.

Dan

[Melissa Groo]

Wonderful colors, wing view and calling action captured, Gail. I feel your pain with the 7D. I can't tell you how much improved I feel the quality of my images are with the 1D4, after using the 7D for 8 months or so. I highly recommend it, and feel quite sure you will be holding one of your own soon. Best wishes for that.