Horned Lark male

Gallery: AvianPosted April 25, 2011641 views25 comments

Eremophila alpestris

This was taken in Tooele County, Utah, west of where I live in mid February. Pretty cold the morning I took this, but the Horned Larks were already acting like spring had arrived by singing their little hearts out. What I like about this image is the morning light, the colors of the bird, the textures and colors of the rock it was perched on and the soft golds of the dried out grasses in the background.

D200, f6.3, 1/2000, ISO 320, 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up. 65% of original frame. Larger version posted.

As always I sincerely appreciate your comments & critiques. Thank you for looking.

Comments

25 comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on April 25, 2011 at 7:37 PM

Wonderful habitat and the head turn makes the composition work. Excellent detail as always

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on April 25, 2011 at 8:24 PM

Very nice. A great position on the rock and a nice setting overall. Excellent detail.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments

Comment posted by Angela McCain on April 25, 2011 at 9:07 PM

Nice detail here. The rock has almost identical colors to the bird. Like the soft light.

Registered on April 19, 2009, 367 Posts, 3589 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on April 25, 2011 at 9:16 PM

Super nice shot of this Lark Mia. The bird is great with the nice head turn, but the rock really makes this image for me. That combined with the super BG and early light. All the elements work so well together. Detail in the bird and rock show very well. Really an appealing shot. Very well executed.

Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Canuel on April 25, 2011 at 9:28 PM

Love the colors of these birds and you caught this one with a nice complimentary perch and BG.

Registered on September 12, 2010, 53 Posts, 660 Comments

Comment posted by Matt Shellenberg on April 25, 2011 at 10:08 PM

I love that head turn, Mia. Very nicely composed. You have done a superb job on the exposure. I really like that rock as a perch. The only place I seem to find them here is in the grass or in a farm field.

Registered on February 6, 2008, 168 Posts, 3118 Comments

Comment posted by John Blumenkamp on April 25, 2011 at 10:19 PM

Great pose and setting/perch here Mia! Your comp/crop is excellent.

Registered on February 26, 2011, 58 Posts, 313 Comments

Comment posted by Harry Harris on April 25, 2011 at 11:07 PM

Mia, I agree that the rock and the BG compliment the Lark. I like the catch light and the space for the Lark to look into. Thanks for posting; when at Bolsa Chica a couple of birders showed me where a couple of pairs of the Horned Larks were nesting. Could see one but could not get any images because they are behind a fence which is there to protect nesting Least Terns and the Horned Larks. The birders said it has been some time since the Larks have nested here.

Harry

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

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on April 25, 2011 at 11:56 PM

I like this pose with the birds head doing a hard left "stretch", cool.
Technically very well done, I no evil

Beautiful work Mia!

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on April 26, 2011 at 12:34 AM

Gorgeous image, Mia. I like the pose and the texture of the bg. The palette is perfect and that quartz rock makes the perfect perch.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by Simon Bennett on April 26, 2011 at 2:41 AM

Lovely pose, head turn, bird and setting.

Registered on February 4, 2007, 350 Posts, 4614 Comments

Comment posted by Robert Holguin on April 26, 2011 at 3:09 AM

I really like the pose and the composition. Fabulous light and background.

Registered on January 25, 2011, 44 Posts, 294 Comments

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on April 26, 2011 at 3:30 AM

While I love the complimentary colours running throughout the image, the superb detail in the feathers, wonderful catchlight, composition and pose, I think the thing that appeals to me more is the sense that I can almost feel the soft textures of those feathers with my mind :^)

Absolutely wonderful shot Mia :^)

Registered on March 1, 2011, 154 Posts, 2083 Comments

Comment posted by Karen Summers on April 26, 2011 at 6:10 AM

cracking shot, love the pose and setting

Registered on December 3, 2009, 83 Posts, 818 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on April 26, 2011 at 8:07 AM

Nice head turn, detail and subtle colours Mia

cheers
Rob

Registered on November 8, 2003, 617 Posts, 8267 Comments

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on April 26, 2011 at 8:47 AM

Mia, what a perfect color scheme. It all compliments each other so well. Great perch and pose as well.

Registered on June 30, 2009, 300 Posts, 5051 Comments

Comment posted by Charlie VanTassel on April 26, 2011 at 9:16 AM

I also like the subdued color scheme and the pose. Well done, Mia.

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

Comment posted by Peter Conway on April 26, 2011 at 4:16 PM

I like this lot Mia. The overall color tone, the softness of the bird juxtaposed against the rock, and the BG from the dry grasses all works.

Peter

Registered on June 25, 2007, 347 Posts, 3913 Comments

Comment posted by Sharon Hallowell on April 26, 2011 at 8:59 PM

Another fine image from you Mia! I like the hint of the horn and the colors. Very nice image. Sharon

Registered on November 1, 2003, 392 Posts, 4810 Comments

Comment posted by KC Choo on April 27, 2011 at 3:33 PM

I like what you like, too! Well done!

Registered on November 15, 2004, 519 Posts, 8278 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Willison on April 27, 2011 at 5:02 PM

Mia, you pretty well covered the obvious attributes, but I like it for the comp, the curved lines where the bird's head flows down and is echoed by those of the rock perch.

Registered on April 10, 2009, 292 Posts, 3967 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on April 28, 2011 at 7:13 AM

Wonderful colors Mia and I especially like the stretched-neck pose. Perfect DOF and comp and I love that rock perch. Great bokeh in the background too. We've had a blast with Horned Larks this spring, huh? Excellent.

Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on April 28, 2011 at 10:16 AM

Mia, I like everything you've mentioned here, and also like the birds pose and your comp. very nice.

Registered on March 21, 2009, 202 Posts, 4187 Comments

Comment posted by Monica Siri on April 29, 2011 at 5:12 PM

Mia,
I really like the early morning light, the subtle colors, the pose and the beautiful rock. Really nice image.

Registered on September 20, 2009, 132 Posts, 3764 Comments

Comment posted by keith mitchell on January 31, 2014 at 4:34 PM

Composition ,rock,bird,and BG all look superb, image, excellent work with an almost pastel effect.

Keith.

Registered on July 12, 2008, 127 Posts, 1735 Comments