OC R6 Color-splash

[WIlliam Maroldo]

Sony A900~Sony 500 F4~Sony 1.4X~ISO400~1/1600 sec~F/5.6~manual exposure~hand held~Texas City Dike~9-23-2012~CS6 (including oil paint filter)~Redfield Fractalius~Nik Silverefex Pro~ used history brush to restore color(create color-splash)///
I really appreciate birds that have been banded and remain in the same locality year round, because I can really get to know individuals. This is much more difficult when there is no way to identify specific members of a species that all look very similar. I started taking photos of banded oystercatchers for the American Oystercatcher Working Group, and have close to two dozen banded birds documented. This image is the female adult R6, the extra black spot in the eye indicates a female.
I have plenty of non-banded oystercatcher images, but when I see a banded one, especially when its one I've photographed for several years, it seems like an old friend. Critique and comments welcomed. Regards~Bill

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Lovely pose and treatment Bill. I like the colour back in, it really stands out.

[Nancy Bell]

Well done with a good combination of effects! The yellows work very well with the varied black & white tones, and do not appear clownish. For me the uneven black frame is a bit distracting. A terrific pose and very visually effective with the bird is surrounded by the subtle glow of the light tones.

[Cindy Cone]

Great pose and nice effects, Bill. Love the yellow painted back in. Thanks for the explanation about the banded birds, too.

[Diane Miller]

Different -- textures and treatments work very well and she has an engaging pose -- I like it!

[Cheryl Slechta]

Bill, thanks for the story on R6. It must be a thrill to get acquainted with individual birds. I like your treatment and the only very nit picky thing I would point out is a very small darker line above the rump of the OC. But it is a miniscule issue for me:S3: