Darcy Quimby  

Fish Sandwich Hold the Bun by Darcy Quimby

September 2024 - Fish Sandwich Hold the Bun

September 2024 - Darcy Quimby

Original

About the Image(s)

Camera: Nikon Coolpix P1000 (650mm)
1/1000 f8 ISO 800

This was taken on the Chetco River in Harbor Oregon.
I have never had the chance to pay attention to 'shore' birds I live in the desert . I also go on vacation not near shores. It is amazing how large these birds are and the fact they can spot food and dive bomb to get it. I have fallen in love with watching them work for their dinner.
The camera I used is a new camera for me. I usually use a mirrorless Canon R7 however, I picked up the Nikon because of my mobility issues.

In Post ACR I lowered the highlights and blacks, upped shadows and whites. Cropped way in. Brought into PS and ran it through Topaz to remove the noise. I masked the subject warmed up the pelican. I inverted the mask and then cooled down the bg.

5 comments posted

Pinaki Sarkar   Pinaki Sarkar
To me the water looks more bluish. The original was better.The fish in the mouth looks little over exposed .Great Image. Perfect timing.   Posted: 09/07/2024 16:27:25
Darcy Quimby   Darcy Quimby
Pinaki
The original image did not capture the actual blue of the water. I was trying not to make it look over processed. The fish is a tad over exposed and am not sure if there is a way to fix it. Thank you for your feedback   Posted: 09/08/2024 20:16:38
Raj Panandiker   Raj Panandiker
Well-timed image, with the beak wide open and fish in it.the bird is back;-lit which makes it interesting but at the same time, difficult to expose with because of such a high dynamic range. Parts of the image are blown out (like the fish) but some other parts are a bit underexposed. You might be able to recover some of the shadows still. Also, to my eye, the image looks a bit soft.   Posted: 09/10/2024 17:03:54
Lillian Roberts   Lillian Roberts
(Groups 2 & 3)
Darcy,

I think you will gain acceptances for this image in competition, "as is." The backlighting really makes the shot IMHO.

That said, the white on the fish is blown, and the shadow on the bird is pretty dark. If you can start with the original RAW file and work on those areas, I believe it would make a difference in your score.

Lillian   Posted: 09/10/2024 19:38:37
Debbie Porter

I like the lighting on the pelican's gular pouch. I wish I could see more of the eye and feathers on the bird. Did you try masking those areas and playing with the exposure and contrast?   Posted: 09/15/2024 11:30:52

 

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