A few from yesterday

I had a wander around a site not far from me yesterday - St Mary's Island, on the north east coast of England - and although there was little about, I came away with a few pictures I'm quite pleased with...

All taken with the 30D + 100-400mm.

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These are really nice, I had been put off the 100-400 by people saying its a bit soft on the long end but these are beautiful shots

This obsession with sharpness as the only thing that matters in a lens baffles me, Paul: you can have the sharpest lens in the world, but unless you can use the sharpness, what's the point?

The 100-400mm is plenty sharp for me right down to 1/50, (and I'll be honest, I don't think I've got a really sharp one) but the versatility and usability of the thing - and the IS - make it a brilliant lens as far as I'm concerned.

I also find myself constantly very impressed with its colour rendition.

These are all hand-held at 400mm, incidentally - thanks for the kind words.

Excellent series Keith R. I really like the way you composed your shots. Well done.

Thanks Reyno,

I do try to put a bit of effort into composition.

I've noticed that it's the composition of a picture that most people (well, most people who aren't photographers!) notice, rather than the technical stuff that impresses us, so I try to bear that in mind.

I don't get it right all the time, but it's worth the effort, I think.

Very nice shots Keith. I really appreciate the habitat shots . Thanks for sharing. Beautiful shorebirds.

Thanks, Reigh.

Nice set here. All the captures look fantastic. I really like that last one with the blurred wings, it makes for a very nice sshot, especially with the rest of the bird in focus. Very nice series!

Handheld!! Very nice indeed

They are mighty fine shots Keith, like all of them.
Though it's not the best shot of all four but the last shot has got my attention, he looks as though he flying straight at you, well done.

Thanks all.

You make a good point, Tony - it's not always the best shot in a technical sense that has the biggest impact.

you should be pleased with these, they are excellent!

Keith ,, , what a fantastic series of shots # 2 is absolutely awesome

All are very nice with the second and third images getting most of my attention. Great light and composition.....nice work!

Excellent shots. The last one is my favorite followed closely by shot number three. Brilliant work.