Motif: Snipe in the Fall

Posted by Clinton Smith on Sun Oct 26, 2003 1:48 pm

All times are UTC-05:00

0 people like this post

First unread post

| 15 posts |

Page 1 of 1

While kayaking on the Fox River in northern Illinois, I stopped to photograph some Yellowlegs - but then I noticed this little guy just upstream from me. I slowly made my way up to the bird, which relaxed in my presence after about 10 minutes. In fact, the little guy fell asleep for the rest of the time that I was shooting.

Once the bird was asleep I was able to take the tripod off the deck of my kayak and plant it in the mud for several more pictures.

I believe it's a snipe, but not certain. Only other possibility seems to be a woodcock.

Canon 10D / 100-400 @ 400mm / handheld / 1/400sec @ f7.1

Comments and suggestions are welcome.

EDIT - I cloned out the dropping and did a little more with USM since the original post.

- Clinton Smith
Vernon Hills, IL

Last edited by Clinton Smith on Sun Oct 26, 2003 9:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Posted by:
Clinton Smith
Forum Contributor

Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 35
Joined: 25 Aug 2003

Visit website

by Alan Murphy on Sun Oct 26, 2003 2:29 pm

Alan Murphy
Lifetime Member

Posts: 27330
Joined: 20 Aug 2003
Location: Houston, Texas
Member #:00014

View portfolio
Visit website

Clinton, Yes, this is a Snipe and a good photo of one. You don't often see them out in the open and in full sun like this. I might clone out the poop behind the bird. It could also handle a little more sharpening. A great field guide photo here.

Alan Murphy
NSN 0014
www.alanmurphyphotography.com

0 people like this post

by Bill Keown on Sun Oct 26, 2003 2:57 pm

Bill Keown
Lifetime Member

Posts: 1157
Joined: 23 Aug 2003
Location: Minnetonka, MN
Member #:00140

View portfolio

Nice snipe image. Evidence of it's having relaxed just behind it, LOL.

Bill Keown

0 people like this post

by NDCheryl on Sun Oct 26, 2003 4:06 pm

NDCheryl
Lifetime Member

Posts: 16434
Joined: 19 Aug 2003
Location: Ft Wayne, IN
Member #:00026

View portfolio
Visit website

Excellent snipe shot. I love the colors. A bit more USM and it will pop even more.

Cheryl Ertelt
http://www.photosphrases.com
NSN 0026 LTM

0 people like this post

by Chip Estabrooks on Sun Oct 26, 2003 5:06 pm

Chip Estabrooks
Forum Contributor

Posts: 348
Joined: 24 Aug 2003
Location: Columbia, Missouri

Great job catching this fellow in the open. I'm with Alan on the suggestions.
Chip

Chip Estabrooks
Rocky Creek Ranch, Missouri
"Hillbilly Heaven"

NSN-0094

0 people like this post

by Paul Fusco on Sun Oct 26, 2003 5:59 pm

Paul Fusco
Forum Contributor

Posts: 4504
Joined: 22 Aug 2003
Location: CT

Clinton -

Great to get this species in a setting like this. The BG is nice and getting a snipe in the open is doesn't happen very often. At least not for me.

Congrats!

- Paul

[b]Paul J. Fusco
NSN 0120[/b]

NSN Portfolio
http://www.naturescapes.net/portfolios/portfolio.php?cat=10317

0 people like this post

by Ken Newcombe on Sun Oct 26, 2003 6:50 pm

Ken Newcombe
Forum Contributor

Posts: 1394
Joined: 14 Sep 2003
Location: Dundas, Ontario, Canada

Visit website

A nice closeup of a difficult bird. The pose it right on. Some cloning of the OOF material would remove distractions.

0 people like this post

by Laura Stiefel on Sun Oct 26, 2003 9:31 pm

Laura Stiefel
Lifetime Member

Posts: 4184
Joined: 20 Aug 2003
Location: Northwest, Ohio
Member #:00229

View portfolio

A great view of this guy in the open! I like Alan's suggestions well.

Laura Stiefel
[b]NSN 0229[/b]

0 people like this post

by Bill Whala on Sun Oct 26, 2003 9:32 pm

Bill Whala
Forum Contributor

Posts: 5979
Joined: 21 Aug 2003
Location: Littleton, Colorado

This is a very nice first post, Clinton. Cloning the poop is all this one needs, IMHO.

Excellent shot!!

Bill Whala

"Aves of similar plumage tend to converge with one another"

0 people like this post

by AlexC on Sun Oct 26, 2003 10:26 pm

AlexC
Forum Contributor

Posts: 5948
Joined: 17 Aug 2003
Member #:00024

View portfolio

Jimmy would be proud of him!!!, A mosquito with feathers!!!!
Great light, great exposure and wonderful detail, just wishing for a less distracting BG, but nice as is!!! Congrats!!

[b]Alex Calzadilla[/b]
[b]Miami, Florida[/b]
[b]NSN-0024[/b]
"At the feast of ego everyone leaves hungry." - Bentley's House of Coffee and Tea, Tucson, AZ

0 people like this post

by Juli Wilcox on Mon Oct 27, 2003 2:02 am

Juli Wilcox
Editor in Chief

Posts: 3373
Joined: 17 Aug 2003
Location: Upper Great Plains
Member #:00010

View portfolio
Visit website

What a neat bird! The feather detail is to die for! This is one of my favorite subjects. Welcome to NSN!

[b]Juli Wilcox[/b]
[b]Former Editor in Chief, NSN[/b]

0 people like this post

by Brian L. Zwiebel on Mon Oct 27, 2003 7:51 am

Brian L. Zwiebel
Forum Contributor

Posts: 2874
Joined: 26 Aug 2003
Location: Oregon, OH USA

Visit website

Clinton,

Very nice, I too rarely find them in the open. My only photos are of territorial birds singing from fence posts.

Nice and close, nice colors. I'd crop down to take out the bright spot in UL.

Well Done!

BZ

0 people like this post

by Wil Hershberger on Mon Oct 27, 2003 11:11 am

Wil Hershberger
Forum Contributor

Posts: 7577
Joined: 19 Aug 2003
Location: Eastern WV

Visit website

The re-worked image is terrific. Very nicely done.

[url=http://www.cricketman.blogspot.com][b]Wil Hershberger[/b][/url] | [b]NSN0025[/b]
[url=http://www.natureimagesandsounds.com/workshops/index.html][b]Nature Images and Sounds Nature Photography Workshops[/b][/url]

0 people like this post

by Anthony Medici on Mon Oct 27, 2003 10:08 pm

Anthony Medici
Lifetime Member

Posts: 6879
Joined: 17 Aug 2003
Location: Champions Gate, FL
Member #:00012

View portfolio

I was wondering what everyone was talking about. Looks fine to me. Then I read the rest of the original post. Oh.

Nicely done!

Tony

0 people like this post

by Mike Wilson on Tue Oct 28, 2003 12:58 pm

Mike Wilson
Forum Contributor

Posts: 16364
Joined: 20 Aug 2003
Location: San Diego, CA

Well done getting close to this Snipe and getting such great color and detail. I have never seen them in the open like this. Great field guide photo for sure.

Mike Wilson
San Diego, Ca
[url=http://www.naturescapes.net/membership.htm]NSN 0047[/url]

0 people like this post