Coots along the Good Blue Waterways

[Jack Breakfast]

Hello, and here is a picture that would normally be too cutesypie for my liking, but I'm feeling less uptight than usual today!
Taken with the Canon 7D and 70-300L at 300mm. iso400, 1/1000, f5.6.
Of course I will be grateful for your suggestions RE cropping & composition, should you wish to share them? But don't let me stop you there: I will welcome ANYTHING you have to say to me, so long as you don't call me any unkind names, like Jerk Breakfast, for example.

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an ode-in-progress to the local alar: http://www.smallbirdsongs.com

[Grace Scalzo]

Wonderful exposure yielded rich blacks and good detail in the bills. Interaction is sweet indeed. Subjects are rather centered which works well for this image. Personally I could consider a tighter crop. I always ask myself," what is the space adding." Maybe looking at it that way will lead you to some other options.

[Jack Breakfast]

Thank you, Grace, I appreciate your thoughts, as always. I like the centering here also, and I have cropped a little off the top and bottom. It's not a substantial crop, but it's enough to give us a slightly better look at the coots while still preserving the good waterways? It is a little tricky because there are certain wave patterns that I wish not to cut off, etc. Here's one idea, anyhow:

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[gail bisson]

I really like the interaction here.
I would like a crop in between the 2 shown.
i feel like this needs a bit of CW rotation.
Excellent IQ and the exposure on the blacks look great. You also nailed the exposure on the beaks- which is the hardest thing when photographing coots)
Nice one, Jack!
gail

[Jack Breakfast]

Thank you, Gail. I like your eyes here and I think you're quite right about splitting the difference. I was blessed with the sort of light that provided good blacks and whites. Or: ivories? I like coots! I like their feet the best. If I could make my living as a coot foot analyst, I'd probably do it.
PS Regarding IQ, that 70-300L is incredible, and I'm sorry I sold it. I am hoping the new 100-400 will be as good in IQ, even at 400, and maybe still pretty good with the TC? Now I just need the bread. Which you should NEVER feed to ducks! And probably not to coots either, who are more like rails, maybe.

[Tim Harding]

Agree with all of the previous comments. A little lower POV might have made this a real special image IMHO. Looks like you were shooting down on them a bit to my eye. Both eyes in focus is nice.

Well done.

[Jack Breakfast]

Hi Tim, I agree with you RE the lower perspective. I would have if I could have! Not that "I would have if I could have" makes the picture any better!