Naming this bird was easy--Black-Browed-Albatross-(Thalassarche-melanophrys)
Canon 7D, 70-200 f2.8 II with 2x, 1/800 f8, ,ISO 640, AP, Evaluative Metering, +2/3, hand held @ 170mm
A dreary, overcast day on Sounders Island with intermittent misting rain and a cold wind that made my old bones ache. All that misery, however, was quickly forgotten with the first sight of these magnificent birds. What a distinct privilege it was to photograph them.
What a handsome bird, great character. Good DOF,I like the slight head turn , a bit tight in the frame, considerable amount of noise showing up in the darker areas.
Did you have to bring up the exposure significantly?
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I do appreciate the efforts and the value added by BPN followers.
Randy: In the repost, I have done some more work on the noise. That seems to have help. Actually, I only increase the exposure in post by .5. Somewhere around ISO 800, the 7D begins to pickup a lot of noise. I should have been more careful with the NR. Truthfully, I don't remember doing NR on the first image. Even thought it is a standard part of my procedure. Of course at my age, who knows. Somedays, its all there and others....
I think I will stay with the tight crop. For me, it tells the story better.
A significant improvement to the image with the NR. I appreciate your feelings about the crop. I often will try a few different versions until I find my favorite.