Hooptie Deux Dunlin

[Arthur Morris]

From the Saturday morning past ride out to Alafia Banks. Where we first got to the shorebird spot there was this nice blue channel (as seen here). But the tide was dropping fast. I got in close fast and then got out just as fast to chase two spoonbills and a bunch of vultures. As the tide dropped the BKGRs got uglier and uglier, at least for me.

Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/9 set manually.

Here was the trick to making this image; when the bird was roughly parallel to the back of the camera and in focus, I pressed and held the shutter button down rather than trying to "see" the perfect pose.... If you try to wait for the perfect pose or even to anticipate it, you almost early wind up missing it.... Here I got to delete a lot of images but this one made it all worth it.

[Arthur Morris]

ps: Thanks to James Shadle for the ride and to Clemens van der Werf for the company :) Small crop from the bottom and tiny crop from the back.

[Herb Houghton]

I like the clean BG and the light Art. The dof is perfect for this image.

[Charles Scheffold]

Artie,

Nice low angle and catchlight in the eye. HA is of course perfect :) Like the feather detail as well. For me, the highlights are on the borderline of coming across as harsh.

thanks
Charles

[Arthur Morris]

Artie, Nice low angle and catchlight in the eye. HA is of course perfect :) Like the feather detail as well. For me, the highlights are on the borderline of coming across as harsh. thanks charles

Thanks Charles. Have you calibrated your monitor and made sure that the calibration strip is right on? The light was sweet (8:07am) and the highlights look just as sweet on my laptop as they did then :)

Even the most experienced folks can forget to adjust the monitor angle.... Last night I was going to comment that the WHITEs on Mital Patel's killer Eurasian Curlew looked way too bright when I realized that my screen angle was off a bit. I tilted it towards me while checking the calibration strip, and voila.

[Charles Scheffold]

Thanks Charles. Have you calibrated your monitor and made sure that the calibration strip is right on? The light was sweet (8:07am) and the highlights look just as sweet on my laptop as they did then :)

Even the most experienced folks can forget to adjust the monitor angle.... Last night I was going to comment that the WHITEs on Mital Patel's killer Eurasian Curlew looked way too bright when I realized that my screen angle was off a bit. I tilted it towards me while checking the calibration strip, and voila.

Ahhhh you are right! Cat bumped the monitor and it was tilted down too far. Sorry about that - looks good now :)

Charles

[Arthur Morris]

You gotta love them cats :)

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Artie, loved the pose and the light...I think the ripples make this one extra special.

[denise ippolito]

Beautiful light, comp and the ripples as KD states are special.:)

[Brendan Dozier]

Nice one Art, Nice light and I like how the bill (beak?) came out too.
and thanks for another shooting tip! Got to get down to the seashore soon.

- Brendan

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks all. Here is the ORIG. Only some clean up of the bill shine at the base of the bill and two specks at the tip and the crop from the bottom. Plus the usual: a bit of Eye Doctor work and sharpened the bird only using Denise's paint away the mask technique.

[Andrew McLachlan]

Very nice capture here Arthur. Love the pose, the light and the water. Although you already mention it above, I was going to compliment you on the clean-up of the bill. Very nice!

[Bhushan Dalvi]

Artie , beautiful capture. Love the pose and light.

[Alan Lillich]

Here was the trick to making this image; when the bird was roughly parallel to the back of the camera and in focus, I pressed and held the shutter button down rather than trying to "see" the perfect pose.... If you try to wait for the perfect pose or even to anticipate it, you almost early wind up missing it.... Here I got to delete a lot of images but this one made it all worth it.

Thanks yet again for an invaluable pearl of practical wisdom.

Alan

[Mark Young]

Lovely pose and details.

[Dumay de Boulle]

Great light and detail...Like the movement in the water and the effect created

[Stu Bowie]

Artie, I like the soft light, and angled pose. The colours are nice and soft, and I like the hint of wave underneath the bird.

[James Salywoda]

Excellent low angle and sharpness I like the little ripples in the water the hunting pose is very nice.