DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register) 
 
Challenge Entries
Portfolio Images
Crab Cakes
Crab Cakes
Phocal


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Squats & Lifts (Standard Editing)
Collection: Challenge Stuff
Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M1
Lens: Sigma 50-500mm f/4.0-6.3 EX APO RF HSM for Olympus
Location: Bolivar Flats, Texas, USA
Date: Apr 22, 2017
Aperture: 8.0
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/500
Galleries: Nature, Birds
Date Uploaded: Apr 23, 2017

 A Dunlin (Calidres Alpina) catches a crab during low tide on Bolivar Island, Texas, USA.

[Apr. 30th, 2017 10:16:55 PM]

I went to Bolivar Flats just outside of Galveston Texas specifically to shoot for this challenge. I was lucky enough to have sunrise and low tide correspond during the challenge. Well, sunrise was a bust due to cloud cover so didn't get the amazing light with bird in the shallows catching something interesting photograph I was after.

I laid out there for close to 4 hours photographing birds and got some great shots of a Reddish Egret and some even better ones of a Reddish Egret with a White Morph. Unfortunately those photographs just didn't express the really low perspective I was after, even if they were shot from the same height as this one (which is about 4 inches off the sand). This bird was just super close, which gives this really low perspective to the photograph.

Thanks everyone for the comments. I am really happy with the outcome and it's great to be on the front page.

For those unfamiliar with my camera, it has a 2x crop. So this shot was at 1000mm of effective reach. The Sigma 50-500 in the Olympus 4/3's mount is a rare lens and when I found it for a really low price I picked it up to play around with it. So far I have been really happy with the lens, just needs good light to use because it needs stopped down to f8.0 to reach it's sharpest point. There are only a few photos here taken with this lens, but it still feels good to have taken the highest vote spot with this photograph.

Statistics
Place: 5 out of 60
Avg (all users): 6.4583
Avg (commenters): 8.0000
Avg (participants): 6.2941
Avg (non-participants): 6.8571
Views since voting: 1423
Views during voting: 91
Votes: 48
Comments: 10
Favorites: 0

Please log in or register to add your comments!

AuthorThread
Nikon D7100
Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II
 05/04/2017 08:25:30 PM
Greetings from the Critique Club! I would defintitely say this more than meets the challenge, as wildlife give you very little leeway to get good pics of them. It's minimalistic and as *found* as can get.

Having read your photog's comments, Ronnie, I am even more impressed by this shot - I've also been out at ridiculous hours shooting waterfowl during the wee hours of the morning. Wonderful capture and considering you had to shoot at f8 to optimize this lens, and you got this at only 1/500, helluva good job! Keep that lens handy in the future :-) The low backlight is beautiful, tons of detail on the bird and I never knew til now that there was indeed a crab in the shot. Again incredible detail. And knowing how hard it is to get a shot of wildlife, let alone cooperative wildlife...double kudos to you.

Nitpicks? Hard to find any except maybe clone out that dot of white in the surf and pop the low highlight in the eye, which would probably make it look a tad artificial....nah, just continue doing what you're doing. Looking forward to more entries from you!

Susan
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-6D
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS II USM Lens
 05/02/2017 01:43:56 AM
congratulations on your great capture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Sony Alpha a7R V
Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM
 05/01/2017 12:37:54 PM
Congrats Ronnie - lovely model and great POV!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Samsung Galaxy S25, S25+, S25 Ultra
Panasonic Lumix G 14mm F2.5 ASPH
05/01/2017 10:49:10 AM
It's an honor indeed! Congratulations!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS R5
Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM
 05/01/2017 06:37:16 AM
Great capture. Congratulations on the HM.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-80D
 05/01/2017 12:46:18 AM
Congrats on your HM!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Ricoh GR III
Pentax DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6ED AL [IF] WR DC
 05/01/2017 12:16:42 AM
all the world's a dinner table.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
Canon EOS R5 Mark II
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS
 04/30/2017 10:37:20 AM
nice catch
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D7000
Nikon AF-S DX 18-105 f/3.5-5.6 ED VR
 04/28/2017 08:23:24 PM
Lovely shot. Meets the challenge well.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-6D Mark II
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS
 04/28/2017 12:30:17 PM
Fantastic. One of the best so far. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Theme: Classic / Light / Dark
Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2026 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 10/15/2026 07:27:22 PM EDT.