Common Moorhen

Gallery: AvianPosted January 26, 201196 views9 comments

I seldom shoot or post avian subjects, but occasionally one will wander close enough to shoot. Caught this Common Moorhen while on the Wakulla River. To me, it's one of those birds you kind of have to get close to and study to appreciate its beauty.

Please view LARGER vrsion for better details.

D2X w/ 70-200 VR @ 200mm
1/500 @ f/5.6
250 ISO
No filters
Handheld
Capture One 6, CS4, TK's Luminosity & Sharpening actions

Critiques, suggestions, and comments always welcomed and greatly appreciated. Thanks for looking.

Comments

9 comments

Comment posted by Charlie VanTassel on January 26, 2011 at 10:17 PM

Nice lighting and detail Bill. I would give the bird a little more space in front. The large version really shines.

Registered on October 18, 2006, 644 Posts, 4801 Comments

Comment posted by Harry Harris on January 26, 2011 at 10:51 PM

Bill, I like the image a lot. At one of my local spots, a Moorhen has been teasing me for two months. I so want to capture a shot like this. Great exposure and sharpness.

Registered on August 2, 2010, 169 Posts, 741 Comments

Comment posted by Marc Dubuc on January 26, 2011 at 11:10 PM

Nice image with very sharp details.

Registered on January 4, 2011, 59 Posts, 229 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on January 27, 2011 at 1:13 AM

Simply beautiful bird and photo Bill. Think of it as a feathered landscape.

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by Andy Shepherd on January 27, 2011 at 4:56 AM

Excellent portrait, Bill.

Andy...

Registered on September 24, 2006, 123 Posts, 1254 Comments

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on January 27, 2011 at 8:18 AM

Bill,

I know forst hand these birds are a challenge to expose correctly and you have donevery well. Love the pose and the setting. If you have more room in the original frame I might loosen the crop some, especially in front of the moorhen. I might also reduce the amount of sharpening a little bit.

You should post in avian more often

Registered on June 25, 2007, 491 Posts, 12566 Comments

Comment posted by Dottie Short on January 27, 2011 at 10:47 AM

I think the Common Moorhen are lovely, and have been trying to capture a nice shot for sometime. I photographed several last week, but I don't think they are quite as nice as this one. I'll probably wait a while before I post mine

Nice detail in feathers and sparkle in the eye. That red and yellow beak is amazing.

Registered on April 12, 2010, 61 Posts, 375 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on January 27, 2011 at 4:49 PM

Nice detail on the larger version, it would be nice to have more room in front and maybe a little more room in the back, this moorhen looks a little more colorful than the ones we have in Arizona.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on February 5, 2011 at 1:21 AM

Frame-filling delight in seeing this bird. My, what a colorful forehead and beak. At first I wondered about the dof as it falls off noticeably toward the tail. But the bg is so good, I don't think it would've stayed so complimentary to the bird had the aperture been closed a little more. The water tension line around the front of the bird is a nifty detail and one of the features about that part is the vegetation clinging to the bird there.

Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments