Horned Lark

Gallery: AvianPosted September 11, 2011119 views15 comments

Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)

Place: Scottsdale, AZ
Date: November 13, 2010 3:00 pm
Equipment: Nikon D200, Nikkor AF-S 300/2.8 & TC20E (2x), monopod from car window
Exposure: aperture priority spot metered, ISO 400, 1/1250th @ f/11, -2/3rds ev compensation
Raw, PS CS3 on Mac G4, cropped to 55% of frame

Horned Larks are ground-loving birds of open desolate places and do not sit on branches, so seeing them on a dirt pile is normal. I usually have a hard time getting close enough for photos, but lucked out last year with this bird along a dirt road on reservation lands.

Please view the larger version before commenting, if possible. Honest critiques requested; all comments appreciated.

Comments

15 comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on September 11, 2011 at 12:21 PM

Tough light. The detail and pose are perfect. The foreground and background are at least neutral, allowing the subject to stand out, although I could wish for a softer setting.

Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments

Comment posted by Barbara Graham on September 11, 2011 at 1:09 PM

I love the pose/puffiness and the detail.

Registered on July 27, 2010, 1310 Posts, 5035 Comments

Comment posted by Scott Frye on September 11, 2011 at 1:28 PM

Not an easy bird to get -- the larger view looks almost like a 3D picture with the bird and his perch really separating from the background.

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

Comment posted by KC Choo on September 11, 2011 at 6:25 PM

Pretty good! Like the ruffled feathers.

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

Comment posted by Nick Palmieri on September 11, 2011 at 7:29 PM

Nice detail in the bird and I think you did a good job with the exposure. TFS

Registered on September 1, 2011, 35 Posts, 748 Comments

Comment posted by Sally King on September 11, 2011 at 7:40 PM

I love how the colors pop in this and the ruffled feathers. Really good details. Dirt piles along roads is where I see them too and they are quite skittish in my experience. Gorgeous image of one.

Registered on December 2, 2008, 416 Posts, 4450 Comments

Comment posted by Ray Whitt on September 11, 2011 at 8:09 PM

Love the colors of the bird with the background, feather detail is great. Nice work,

Ray

Registered on May 27, 2011, 92 Posts, 2619 Comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on September 11, 2011 at 8:14 PM

Killer colors and nice habitat. There is really nice separation between the foreground/your subject and the background. I always have a devil of a time photographing these birds so this is impressive.

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

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on September 12, 2011 at 5:38 PM

Ah, a sweet shot Rich. Love the warm light and all the warm tones in general. Super detail and sharpness as usual. Great DOF choice.

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

Comment posted by Angela McCain on September 12, 2011 at 9:40 PM

Beautiful and interesting bird. I like him "all puffed up" like this. Exposes your excellent detail in the feathers. Clearly harsh light, judging from the shadow, but you have handled it well.

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

Comment posted by May Haga on September 12, 2011 at 9:41 PM

Wonderful colors. I like how the bird is tucked into the dip in the ground. The fluffy feathers are a nice touch.
May

Registered on February 22, 2007, 714 Posts, 8470 Comments

Comment posted by Matt Shellenberg on September 12, 2011 at 9:42 PM

Nice job capturing this difficult species, Richard. The only place we seem to see them around here is in agricultural fields. Tough to get a decent background. Very nice detail, very impressive using a 2X converter. I really like the fluffed plumage. The "horns" show really well for a side profile. Very nice image.

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

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on September 13, 2011 at 5:56 PM

Excellent feather detail and interesting to read your camera settings and how you handled the bright light so well. The larger version looks great, well done Rich.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by Verdon on September 13, 2011 at 6:34 PM

great shot Richards, love the pose, light and overall quality......

Registered on June 10, 2011, 147 Posts, 1444 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on September 13, 2011 at 10:45 PM

Held up very well with this crop, just the right settings for this kind of light.
I especially like the raised feather look, great BG separation.
Nice work Rich.

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