Black-Necked Stilt Tipping Over?

[Melissa Groo]

Canon 1D4
500mm +1.4x
Skimmer Pod

1/2500 sec
f/8.0
ISO 500

Taken in Bowdoin Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Montana a couple weeks ago. I love how Black-Necked Stilts, because of their exceedingly long legs, are able to get into poses that look like they're about to tip over...
Crop, sharpening, some recovery on the whites and I got rid of the double bill reflection.
Thanks so much in advance for any comments and critiques.

[Frank Schauf]

Very nice pose and reflection.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Melissa, the feet are probably stuck in the mud down below, thus enabling him to lean so far forward. :w3 Well exposed, especially on the blacks of the wing. I really like the calmness of the water, and just a hint of those ripples. I wouldnt mind a touch more space below the reflection if you have, and feel the head looks softer than the body.

[vishaljadhav]

Nice image
i like the inclusion of the full reflection, the pose looks nice and the body is exposed so very nicely
great to see the details
second Stuart on more space below

[Ryan Schain]

I like this image a lot. If it were mine, I would sharpen the face a bit, tone down the small area of blown highlights just behind the wing, and add a bit of canvas to the bottom. Great comp and reflection!

[Melissa Groo]

Thanks much for the feedback and suggestions. Here's another post with more sharpening to head, more room below (added canvas) and more taming of white area at shoulder.

[Bill Dix]

Repost rocks! Stuart beat me to the punch line. I took one look at the OP and thought "his feet are stuck in the mud". Terrific pose, and beautifully exposed on the blacks. Well done.

[Diane Miller]

Wonderful! I think the added area at the bottom is a great improvement. Such an unusual image! With such wonderfully clean edges, it doesn't want to be crowded at any edge.

I'd even take some off the top, to make the subject feel more balanced in the frame. This off-center and rule-of-thirds stuff has its place, but there are a lot of other considerations with each individual image.

[Melissa Groo]

Stuart and Bill, I bet you're right! I hadn't even considered that--that its feet might be anchored by the mud! Makes sense.

[David Salem]

Nice shot and pose on this one. I like the repost and I was going to mention the sharpening of the head so good job there. Techs look nice as usual and I like the full reflection. Well done.

[Jamie Douglas]

Repost looks good after taking on board the constructive comments from the helpful folks above. A shame the head isn't a little sharper though. Where was the AF point? I'd have expected a better dof and sharpness with those techs.

[Robert Holguin]

Wonderful shot.
Love the interesting pose and the calm water.
Great reflection, exposed very well, and the repost is much better.
Very well done.

[Shawn Zierman]

I dig the tension in the pose...interesting, I've never thought about the grip they must have on the mud under the water,
but looking at this image makes that suggestion make perfect sense. Nice job on the repost.

[Melissa Groo]

I just found out from Mike Milicia, whom I spent a couple days shooting with in Montana, that he has a frame of this same stilt just a second or so later and it is very obviously poised for flight, with wings up. So I think actually that this is a preflight pose. That said, I have many pictures from FL where I have seen similar odd stilt poses that I do think are possible due to their feet being worked into the muck.
Jamie, I'll have to bring the pic into DPP to see where the focus point was, that's a good question.
Thanks everyone for the comments.

[Satish Ranadive]

Simple and very very sweet image of stilt with beautiful reflection. I like the ripples in the water and nice composition.

Regards,
Satish.

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

Yes indeed! they are such characters! love the soft BG, pose and light. I like the repost but there is too much empty room on top I believe.