2 Redheads & 1 Perch

Tech: D2X c/w 500/4.5 - 1000/f5.6 - ISO 320 - RAW AF-C – hand held
Location: Durham, UK - Dec 2006

Already well into December & only the 2nd frost of the Autumn/Winter occurred over the weekend!

I tried a local country park yesterday & was pleasantly surprised to find 20+ Goosanders on the small woodland lakes. There was soft winter sunshine throughout, but only very small sections of water were in direct light. It was so frustrating at times, as the birds were often were often well within range, but in deep shade.

The pleasant weather also brought out visitors in their droves, so by the end of the afternoon there were only 3 (resilient) birds left. However, I did get some decent captures while I was there.

This particular interaction occurred in an area of dappled light, so my camera settings produced a rather UE image. What would do without RAW?

The image is only slightly cropped (93%) which was mainly a result of correcting sloping water. My usual post-production actions were undertaken, but also included EV adjustment & touch of Neat Image.