Least Terns in a Fish Fight

[Cathy McEntee]

Spotted these two least terns this morning dueling over a fish

Nikon D7000 Nikon 300mm 2.8 with 1.7 tc
ISO 500 1/1250 f 7.1
overcast, manual exp
HH from boat
PP LR3-- unsharp mask, dark spots removed in CS5

C&C very much appreciated!

[Jeff Cashdollar]

Cathy,

The opportunity here is composition and subject placement, it is somewhat subjective. I like the picture it tells a story and I am there with you, nice work in that regard. From a critique perspective the first thing that comes to mind is the negative space on top of the subjects, maybe a pano crop would work here and put the focus back on the subjects. The overcast light removed some of the mid-tones from the picture as well, consider levels adjustment - add with the mid tone slider, curves, or selective color adjustments to bring them out and give the image more pop! Bird on the right need some minor work to high-light the eye. I like the feet in the sand and two in focus is always nice to see - keep em coming.

[Kerry Perkins]

Hi Cathy, I like this image and the idea you are expressing. Wise words from Jeff above regarding the composition and color. The whites are very hot on both birds but more noticeable on the left one. You could have used a higher shutter speed to control the whites and give you perhaps a little more detail. Good eye to see the situation and make the capture.

[Cathy McEntee]

Thanks Jeff and Kerry for your constructive criticism. Here is a repost with a different crop, a little heavier on the levels slider and saturation and an attempt and recovering some of the whites. Thanks.