Another one from the coast. Got lucky with the light and subject here. The gulls were harassing every sanderling that caught a juicy morsel, but they didn’t spot this one as it grabbed its supper right beside me–and right as the sun peeked out from behind some clouds.
In post, I straightened the shot, cropped in a bit, sharpened the bird, reduced noise on the BG, and and ran a slight curves adjustment. All C&C welcome.
Techs:
D850
500mm f/4 AF-S II, handheld lying in cold surf!
ISO 800
1/2500
f/7.1
If you would like your image to be eligible for a feature on the NPN Instagram (@NaturePhotoNet), add the tag ‘ig’ and leave your Instagram username below.
The decisive moment for sure!! Worth getting wet for – even cold wet! DOF is wonderful with the hint of the waves breaking in the BG and the reflection in the FG. No criticism, but I’m a bit surprised by the brightness of the underside. I’m not a birder so maybe it’s pure white, with the color cast from reflected light. Can’t help but wonder if a reduction in Highlights in raw conversion would bring in more highlight detail, but maybe you did that.