Black Tern

Gallery: AvianPosted July 24, 2011123 views16 comments

Black Tern (Chlidonias niger)

Place: Gilbert Water Rannch, AZ
Date: October 25, 2010
Equipment: Nikon D200, Nikkor AF-S 300/2.8 & TC20E (2x), G1325, RRS BH-55, Sidekick
ISO 400, aperture priority matrix metered, 1/15000th sec @ f/5.6, natural light no fill flash
Raw, PS CS3, Mac G4, modest crop on top and right

We don't get many terns in AZ so every encounter with one is notable. This basic plumage Black Tern appeared one morning while I was working ducks and grebes and it gave me a chance to practice my undeveloped BIF skills. I had a lot of time with this bird but not much luck in getting first rate images – it was just too fast and nimble. I wish I'd had my D300 then for its higher frame rate and its more responsive auto focus.

Of course I'd have preferred not clipping the wing but I'm happy I managed a sharp image of this difficult subject.

As always: honest critiques requested; all comments appreciated. Please view the larger image before critiquing if possible.

Comments

16 comments

Comment posted by Dolph McCranie on July 24, 2011 at 7:16 PM

Richard,
I appreciate the difficulty in photographing flying birds. Your photo of this tern coming head on is interesting and I especially appreciate the sharp focus on the bird's eyes. Nice going.

Registered on August 25, 2006, 146 Posts, 284 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on July 24, 2011 at 7:50 PM

I like to see you posting flight shots Rich. It's not easy getting the head sharp with them coming almost straight on like this - you did that and even got a catch light with this head and light angle. Next time I'll bet you won't cut off the wing.

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

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on July 24, 2011 at 8:07 PM

Even though you have clipped the wing you got a nice shot of a rarity in your parts and this is probably one of the toughest ways to photograph a bird (especially something small and quick like a tern). I like that both eyes can be seen and the composition is actually quite nice.

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

Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on July 24, 2011 at 8:51 PM

Very cool comp of this rarity, Richard. Nicely sharp under tough conditions, with the bird flying right at you. Good work.

Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on July 24, 2011 at 9:45 PM

Very sharp and I love the way the sings curve, Richard. It makes a very fine composition. The lighting draws the attention to the head which adds to the impact.

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

Comment posted by Charles Gangas on July 24, 2011 at 10:34 PM

Rich-getting a clear image of a rare species is quite cool and getting a sharp head- on shot is very special indeed. The clipped wing is of minor consequence considering the significance of the capture.

Registered on August 12, 2009, 544 Posts, 2414 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on July 24, 2011 at 11:43 PM

interesting, Rich, I will admit there's a reasonable chance I wouldn't have looked at this if it wasn't yours, but having looked and thought a little I'm glad I did (both--looked and thought). first, I like the side light and head on pose. second, for me the clipped wing is a deal breaker, at least at first. this would probably have ended up in the delete bin for me. but after a little thought, I see a comp that I think would be really interesting. As it is, for me this comp is just a clipped wing--but if you intentionally clip the other wing at a similar point, it brings back some symmetry, makes the first clipped wing seem less like a mistake, and might strengthen the graphic lines of the image. So, I'd try cropping more from the right and top, cropping maybe half of the primaries and some of the blue at right. That's my thought, and now I'm suddenly wishing I hadn't automatically deleted so many BIF images with clipped wingtips...

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

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on July 25, 2011 at 5:35 AM

I hate when I do that and this image although sharp and good light wouldn't make it for me. I would keep it till I got one that had both wings (maybe). I do like the almost parallel line the bottom wing has with the frame. You need to cometo Fl to practice with terns

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

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on July 25, 2011 at 6:32 AM

Nice job on this one, a high degree of difficulty. Especially so with the bird coming at you.
Sharp where it counts, good job on that side lighting Rich

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

Comment posted by Wayne Willison on July 25, 2011 at 7:46 AM

For me the value of this image is that it makes me think of an airplane glider, gives the sense of effortless flying. It's a comfortable image, and as others have noted, the face on view is a tough one.

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

Comment posted by Steve Balke on July 25, 2011 at 9:04 AM

Unusual shot, Richard. The head-on view here is interesting because of the concentric coloration and the crop works because the snipped wing leads us from left to right to the bird's body. Fine shot.

Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Marquart on July 25, 2011 at 9:20 AM

Nice job getting the head sharp (most important), and I like the side lighting. As far as the clipped wing goes I concur with Brian and feel it would be better to clip the other wing also and make it a tighter shot, even clipping the clipped wing more if needed. I salvaged one of my eagle shots by doing just that.

Registered on October 24, 2009, 126 Posts, 799 Comments

Comment posted by Terry Sohl on July 25, 2011 at 10:04 AM

Nice head on shot of this guy, a species I have had plenty of opportunities to TRY to shoot, but like you say, they're fast and nimble!! Agreed it's not ideal to have the wing clipped, but congrats on capturing the difficult subject.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 513 Posts, 6889 Comments

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on July 25, 2011 at 1:17 PM

Rich,

I actually like this a lot even with the wing clipped. I like how the bird is coming at you, that you got a catchlight, that both eyes are visible and the soft muted blue in the background. The comp is different but in this case I quite enjoy it.

You don't need to go all the way to Florida for Terns, Utah has plenty spring through fall and not so many tourists to avoid.

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

Comment posted by KC Choo on July 25, 2011 at 1:46 PM

Ha! I have a few clipped wings! I'd keep this one, for sure.

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

Comment posted by David Williams on July 25, 2011 at 8:23 PM

Aside from the wing clipping, you've captured this one well. We see a few of these around here, but I haven't been able to get a good shot of one yet. The ones I have seen, though, are almost all black, and impressive in their breeding colors. Thanks for posting.

Registered on March 8, 2005, 315 Posts, 2291 Comments