Posing Piping Plover

[Joseph Cala]

Another pic from a series taken last Thursday in Milford, CT.

D300, 500mm @ f/5.6. 1/1250, -0.7 EC, ISO 200, Manual mode.

I realize the chunk of seaweed in the back is distracting, and I'll be honest and admit I'm nowhere near comfortable enough with photoshop to attempt to remove that right now. I've got APTATS on order, so hopefully I'll be able to deal with that soon.

Comments and critiques on the photo minus that would be more than welcomed!

[Ian Cassell]

Very nice little guy, Joseph. I think you nailed it with the self-critique. My only complaint on this one is the chunk of stuff behind him (and I too would have a heck of a time removing it). The twigs under him don't bother me at all. Focus, HA, and low-angle are all excellent.

Where in Milford? I grew up in Fairfield County ... Weston.

[gary ellwein]

Hello Joseph, I like the low angle and feather detail. Most of the whites are in control except for a patch on the cheek. IMHO the white bg and fg compete with subject. Is the bird over an egg?

Gary

[Joseph Cala]

Hello Joseph, I like the low angle and feather detail. Most of the whites are in control except for a patch on the cheek. IMHO the white bg and fg compete with subject. Is the bird over an egg?

Gary

Gary, I posted this elsewhere and added in a note that the bird was NOT over an egg, because I had a feeling someone would ask. Forgot to do so here. These guys just showed up this past week and it's too early for them to be laying here. It's actually just over a very egg shaped shell. If you look closely, you can actually see little holes in the shell. I like good pictures, but I wouldn't go that far for a shot, and especially not on a Piping Plover.

What spot are you referring to on the cheek? I don't see it on my monitor and nothing showed up in the histogram. I could be calibrated off a little. Any ideas on the back/foreground competing as far as color goes? All of the beach at that location is shell---no matter the angle I was going to deal with the similar colors. I could layer the bird and try to mess with the colors of the beach, I just don't know if that would work well or not.

[Joseph Cala]

Very nice little guy, Joseph. I think you nailed it with the self-critique. My only complaint on this one is the chunk of stuff behind him (and I too would have a heck of a time removing it). The twigs under him don't bother me at all. Focus, HA, and low-angle are all excellent.

Where in Milford? I grew up in Fairfield County ... Weston.

Ian-

Thanks for the C&C. I've tried messing around with it in Photoshop, I'm just not nearly good enough to deal with that change out. I think the biggest issue for me is because it's right on the border of in focus/out of focus. Something to work on, I suppose.

I got this at the CT Audubon Society's Coastal Center on Milford Point.