Here’s a Black Skimmer coming towards me from the East at 7am, taken in August of this year. Not a strong backlight situation for some reason. It seems more diffused and soft. Anyway, I like the peach tone overall, and am glad I caught just a glint of the sun in its eye.
D500 with 200-500mm f/5.6 lens.
1/2000, f/5.6, 460mm (690mm equivalent), ISO 100
Is this a composite: No
Any and all comments welcome!
Wow! The bird and its reflection is a wonderful capture, but the light on the wake and splashes behind the bird are so far over the top!
I love backlit images and know how challenging it is to do when you aren’t in a studio with full control. You nailed it here. Two things stand out. One, which has nothing to do with lighting, is how you were able to capture such a sharp image of a bird in flight moving toward you. And, the other is that you have just enough detail in the shadow/dark areas of the bird to lift it from being a silhouette. Great shooting & post.
If I were to make one itty bitty adjustment, it would be to brighten the beak. Just one minor thing to pop in addition to the light in the bird’s eye.
Another fantastic capture, Mark. The warm background which I initially perceived to be orange is really a mix of orange and blue complimentary colors. The bird and reflection could almost be an abstract. The wake from the beak makes the photo dynamic and serves as a leading line. I understand that it’s difficult to get shots of a moving subject coming toward you…you really nailed it.
Mark, this is excellent. The bird is nicely sharp, the flying water drops sparkle well, the long beak drag trail is a strong addition with the reflection and golden color topping it all off beautifully.
Mark! I just love all your waterbird images! Is this a Tern like the others or something different? It’s very unique with the straight on reflection in the water and the colors are very subtle. It’s full of action but peaceful at the same time. Nice capture!
@Diane_Miller , @Jackie_Kramer , @Chris_Baird , @Mark_Seaver , and @Vanessa_Hill , Thanks very much for sharing your thoughts and ideas. Because of your comments I see things I hadn’t paid attention to!
Vanessa, Black Skimmers are a different species than the Terns, but yes, they are in the same Family: Gulls and Terns. Thanks for asking. I looked it up and learned! And this water skimming behavior is the same. And fun to watch!!!
Cool! Yeah, I have learned about so many birds since starting photography and also being on NPN!
