Lesser Yellowlegs in alert mode

[Isaac Grant]

This Lesser Yellowlegs was photographed on 10/3/17 on the East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens, New York while with Artie. We found a little cove where the light was just magical and everything seemed to be just glowing in the early morning light. We were lying down in the mud and this guy and a Pectoral Sandpiper just kept getting closer and closer to us (you have to love young shorebirds for that). This was taken in the split second where it perked up and got really alert before it just went back to feeding and eventually it got so close that we could not even focus on it.

Canon 1DX and Canon 500 f4 ii + 1.4x iii. F8, ISO 800, SS 1/2500. Processed with DPP 4.7 and PS

[Juan Tolentino]

Hello Isaac, I love the color palette, low angle and the description that almost made me be there right next to you and Artie lying on the mud . Excellent capture and processing as always. Thank you for sharing.

[John Whaley]

It is a beautiful image. Wonderful colors and background. I like the alert pose and perfect light.

[John Mack]

Really like the colors of the water here. Good low angle with a nice pose on the bird as well.

[gail bisson]

Very nice Isaac!
I like the sweep of the neck, back through to the tail and the great look back pose.
Great POV and I agree about the light !
If I had one tweak, it would be to try and reduce the impact of the grass to the left of the yellowlegs. Perhaps a little burning and blurring?
Gail

[Jim Crosswell]

I like the alert pose, light, low angle, IQ and composition. Excellent image Isaac!

[Allen Sparks]

Hi Isaac,
A very fine image. Love the pose and color palette. Nice one!

[Noel Heustis]

Isaac - it seems like you always get these stunning, low perspective, beautifully colored shots. This one is not an exception. I love the colors in the BG and on the subject; great detail in every part of the bird; low sun angle with a perfect catchlight in the eye; and a nice pose to boot. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

[Isaac Grant]

Thanks everyone. Glad you like it. Gail I looked at that spot many times and decided to keep it just because it broke up the smoothness of that background, but I see your point. Would be an easy fix to clone out at a low opacity which would blend it in nicely.

Noel, that is what photography is all about. With crystal clear glass, crazy fast cameras with lighting fast autofocus and super powerful processing software, getting a sharp photo is hardly an accomplishment in most cases. The photo really becomes about the light and the composition. Or about the action or feelings that the photo portrays. It becomes about the pose and the background and how engaging the image is. It doesn't matter how much you spend on gear, if you are off the sun angle, have a crowded background, have harsh light, bad eye contact and a boring pose then none of that can be saved by the money you spent. That is what the photographer does to make the photo and it is really what I always set out to do. If the light and the pose are not perfect then it is just another shot in my book.

[William Dickson]

Very nice Isaac. Love the POV and the DOF. Lovely detail on the bird and a good HA.

Will

[Tim Foltz]

Isaac, nice low angle, sharp, and nice BG.

-Tim