Here’s another version of the common loon I posted the other day. This shot was captured after sunrise, but luckily, the light was a bit filtered. Otherwise, I never would’ve been able to retain detail in the lights and darks.
In post, I cropped a bit for comp., cleaned up some specks in the water, added some contrast with curves/levels, sharpened the bird, and reduced noise on the BG. All C&C welcome.
Specific Feedback Requested
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
D850
700mm, handheld
ISO 800
1/400
f/5.6
Now that’s a beauty! The light is perfect to show the iridescence and the details in the neck feathers. I want a bit more room behind the bird, but that’s your call.
It’s so funny…we almost always see loon photos presented this way - green reflections on calm water. But when you see them on water with a heavy chop and blue sky reflected, you really understand why their feathers look the way they do. They’re almost impossible to see and if you look away, they disappear. It’s amazing.
HI Lyle
I like the Loon photograph mush more than your other post. The low angle, control of white, exposure, detail, eye contract make this pop of the screen.
Peter
Lovely shot Lyle, worth going back for sure. And a good call by @Kris_Smith on the striking patterns of this species. When I first spied one on a bright northern lake it blended in with the sparkling sunlight off the water and I thought that must be the evolution of its striking back and neck pattern s.
A beautiful portrait on lovely water! The light gave good definition to the head. I’d like a little more room on the left, also. I wonder about bringing up darks a bit more, and maybe whites down a bit, at least on the breast.
