I’ve been undecided about this image. I love the wings in motion, and the moment of this Tern coming up out of the water. It kind of reminds me of the release of hundreds of doves at the Olympics or something like that.
What technical feedback would you like if any?
How important is it to you, to have the eyes in sharp focus for this image?
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
Instead of just black and white, I added a blue tint to convey something of the cool water I imagined jumping into on a hot day! Just for something different. What do you think?
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
Nikon D500 with 200-500 f/5.6 lens at 420mm, f/11, 1/100 second, ISO 100.
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Another really cool blur image Mark. I only wish that the head was a tiny bit sharper but I love it as is. I love the well of water that the launch created as well as the large and small water droplets all around the tern. You have an almost perfect head on look with awesome wing position and no other birds or distractions in the background. Can’t think of anything I’d change except head sharpness. You are getting REALLY good at this. Congrats Mark! Is this at Bolsa Chica?
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Mark: Terrific capture of a magic moment. I love the energy of the shot. Nicely done.>=))>
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Mark, I’ve had to come back and view this several times. I think it’s a neat shot. I get a sense of an angel rising from the water, more so than a bird… I really like the mysteriousness of the white wings along with the heavy waterfall and movement from the tail area. The horizontal reflections contrast well with the flying water drops and the bit of solid land.
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The motion is wonderful, Mark, and I love the upheaval of the water. For my taste, the title doesn’t go with the grittiness of a Black and White presentation.
As to your question on the eyes, I think softer might work better here, rather than attempting to pull sharpness out when it’s not really there.
Superb timing.
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@David_Haynes, @Bill_Fach, @Mark_Seaver, and @Dennis_Plank - thanks so much for taking a look and offering your views. I’m encouraged that you saw the positive things that I saw here.
I have the “eyes sharp” syndrome which is why I posted this image. Despite this “rule” of wildlife photography, I’m sure there’s a place for some softness in the eyes. I’m still not sure if this is the right candidate, but it’s good to hear everyone’s views on this. I’ve gone back and forth, back and forth!
@David_Haynes - this was taken at San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine. I hung out by a pond for over an hour, filling my memory card with attempts. These Terns are so fast when they dive down, and following them down with my camera (on tripod), and then stopping the downward motion of the camera and catching them as they emerge is an incredibly hard challenge. I love the challenge and want to catch this POV again, with more sharpness. Thanks for your kind words…this is my favorite kind of bird in flight image, something I want to get even better at.
@Bill_Fach - I’m heartened that you see the magic of the moment too! I love capturing energy and motion, and this surely does it for me. Thanks for reviewing and commenting!
@Mark_Seaver - You and me both…coming back to this image many times! Angelic is definitely a word that comes to mind because of that wing pattern and blur. I hadn’t focused on the contrast of the horizontal reflections with the flying water, so thanks for pointing that out. I’ve got to learn to better “see” images, which is a benefit for sure of being here on NPN. Thanks.
@Dennis_Plank - I love that water too…almost volcanic with potential energy! I hear you about the title. This title is a holdover from when I named it as a color image. You’ve given me something to think about! At one point, because of the overall softness, I toyed with something like “Emerging Vision” or something about vision becoming more clear after a cleansing. Thanks for your time and comments!
