Merlin

Gallery: AvianPosted December 17, 2011280 views11 comments

After photographing the Bohemian Waxwings I posted earlier, they all left in search of more berries so my dad and I thought we would go out and look for some more wildlife. We barely got started on our drive when we spotted this female merlin on a post just a few hundred yards from my home. We drove past then slowly returned and I quickly got a few shots just in case she flew away. However, she ended up being one of the more cooperative falcons we've seen!

I really like how her colours match the fence and grass.

After looking through the pictures, I had a hard time deciding if I liked the horizontal composition or vertical ones, so I'll post the vertical version below and would love to hear which you think is best.

I was also wondering if you agree that this is indeed a female merlin. That's what we immediately went with in the field, but then I wasn't quite as positive when I looked through our ID books at home (but I'm still pretty sure that's what she is!).

Thanks for looking!

Nikon D300
Nikkor 200-400mm f/4 ED VR with 1.4TC @ 550mm
ISO 400
1/160sec @ f/6.3
shot from bean bag out of truck window
cropped to approximately 65% of original

Comments

11 comments

Comment posted by Jenaya Launstein on December 17, 2011 at 4:16 PM

This is an almost identical shot but cropped vertically instead...please tell me which one you think works best! Thank you!

Registered on February 8, 2011, 254 Posts, 1302 Comments

Comment posted by Scott Frye on December 17, 2011 at 5:42 PM

I like the vertical and the overall color of the pics is very pleasing.

Registered on February 3, 2007, 387 Posts, 1136 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on December 17, 2011 at 6:09 PM

I too like the vertical comp Jenaya. I like the feel of the image and the vertical lines of the wires.

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

Comment posted by Harry Harris on December 17, 2011 at 7:30 PM

Jenaya, The vertical crop does provide more detail, but I like the horizontal crop. It seems to give me a better sense of the environment the bird is in. Both image are beautiful. Great job! Isn't it nice to have an shot that you can crop either way and still have a great image.

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

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on December 18, 2011 at 2:23 AM

Great images, Jenaya! I prefer the vertical comp - nice head-turn, lovely, soft grasses and BG.
Way to go !
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Fabio Giarrizzo on December 18, 2011 at 8:34 AM

Beautiful image- Great delicate palette, and a perfectly balanced composition (I mean on first version, that IMO is much better than the vertical one)- Very well done, Fabio

Registered on December 3, 2010, 90 Posts, 1614 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on December 18, 2011 at 12:49 PM

The high key look of these two images works well and conveys a feeling of winter. I like both but prefer the original horizontal version for the feel of open isolation.

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

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on December 18, 2011 at 1:17 PM

Beautiful composition, Jenaya. I love the way the grasses and fence work and the Merlin makes a wonderful focal point for the image. Well done.

I just saw the vertical repost. For my taste, I prefer the horizontal. I think the strong lines of the dark wires conflict with the vertical composition, while they work with the horizontal.

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

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on December 18, 2011 at 8:17 PM

I prefer the horizontal version - for the reason mentioned by Dennis and because the setting (there's more of it in the horizontal) reminds me so much of the area I grew up in, just a little south of you in northern Montana.

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

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on December 18, 2011 at 10:43 PM

Nicely presented Jenaya! Both formats are appealing but I prefer the horizontal for the feeling of open space Richard mentioned. I like the hi-key feel as well and the low saturation/contrast.

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

Comment posted by Mark Deibert on December 19, 2011 at 8:54 AM

I like the horizontal version...and I like it even better in large view. It's nice to see pictures of birds in their environment as opposed to amazing close-ups all the time. This is a great picture!

Registered on September 30, 2011, 48 Posts, 125 Comments