Not the greatest photos on earth, but when I hear flapping from the deck I wander down to the dock because I know a loon will be close. These were taken on the same evening when not one, but two, juvenile loons were hanging out. No idea if they are siblings or just buds, but it’s a nice they are here. We’ve always had adult non-breeding loons on this section of the flowage, but youngsters are rare. They stick around their parents’ territory after fledging and I think will return to it for a couple of years before striking out to claim their own territories and mates. So far as I know they will stay this gray-brown color for a year or so and then develop the classic black and white coloration.
These two were doing all the things adults do - diving, preening and reverse-periscoping which is that they stick their faces in the water to scope out the dining opportunities. They even had a little tussle and chase which was funny.
Specific Feedback Requested
They aren’t the greatest photos (accidentally had AF switched to MF on the lens for a few frames and that flustered me since I didn’t figure out the problem right away), but any ideas are welcome. They might be back tonight, you never know.
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Handheld on the dock.
Processed in Lr for initial crop and general exposure adjustments. Topaz DeNoise & Sharpen to improve both those things. A little brush work in Lr to enhance the birds’ plumage.
I like the second the most, Kris. The loon does look a bit bright to my eye. The first is difficult because of the positions of the loons. My “left to right, foreground to background” bias wants the left loon to be in the foreground or the foreground loon to be to the left and in focus. The arrangement you had t work with would probably have worked if you could have gotten enough depth of field to get both birds in focus. I’m jealous that you have them. There aren’t many that breed in Washington, though you do see them wintering on the coast.
Wonderful to have the opportunity with these guys! They are a bit upstaged by the gorgeous water – don’t know if that can be dealt with in processing but worth a try. Maybe they’ll come closer soon – bigger in the frame might help.
Second image works best for me because of the color and detail. I have no familiarity with juveniles so I can vouch for the color rendition. Detail looks really good and I like the composition. I agree with Dennis with regards to the first image.
Like yourself, I also live near the water. In 20 years at my home, I have seen only one Loon. They do show up in Washington but rarely.
What a thrill to have them close to where you live… I also like the 2nd image best. Light seems a bit harsh - hope you will get the chance to shoot them in mute light. Cheers, Hans
Thanks everyone! Yeah, it wasn’t the best of circumstances to shoot these guys, but they just don’t come when called. The colors are pretty accurate - they are a grayish-tan with the red eyes. I can try toning down the green reflection a bit. It was afternoon sun with deep shade on the close riverbank and bright sun across the way. I also should have stopped the lens down on the first shot, but that was when I was having focusing issues so wasn’t paying attention. Bah. Oh well. I can try again at some point I hope.
Hi Kris, I’ve never seen juvenile loons before and I’ve only seen an adult a few times. I really like the first one, it has nice movement with the water ripples behind them and the water coming out of the beak is a nice bonus! It’s a really beautiful scene.
