not happy with this dipper

[Jeroen Wijnands]

The white-throated dipper is extremely rare in my part of the country. Two turned up in a local nature reserve where I take my sunday morning walks. This nature reserve owns it's right to exist largely to the fact that it's a water filtration area which explains the man made element in the background.

I'd previously shot this bird purely to prove I'd seen it. Yesterday morning I found it preening by the water. It was tame enough to allow me a reasonable distance, I got on my knees in the snow as low as I could and got this:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5002/5234175216_5ef5ef03ac_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/j_wijnands/5234175216/)

Camera Nikon D300
Exposure 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture f/6.3
Focal Length 500 mm
ISO Speed 1600
Shot about 40 minutes after sunrise, heavy overcast and a touch of mist.

I wonder what I could have done better here. An hour later and the area would have been teeming with twitchers looking for this bird.

[Dave Leroy]

You might consider a vertical crop to get rid of the man made elements on both sides.

It is pretty hard to get rare birds to pick a setting of your choice.

The photo also looks a bit unsharp. Not sure if you were using tripod or not buta bit more sharpening might help.

Always fun to get a rare bird. Good for you.

Dave

[Julie Kenward]

Jeroen, you did very well considering how many elements you have going on in this image. Water, tree trunk, hand of man elements & the bright snow - there's a lot to pull the eye away from this bird. If you want to salvage this one I'd go in for a very tight crop around the bird with just the tree and water showing. You'll probably have to clone out some snow (at least get it away from being right at the top of the head because that brightness really grabs the eye away.)

As far as next time, get in as close as you possibly can and wait for him to position himself so there is a cleaner possible image. Remember, just because the bird is there doesn't mean it's going to make for a great photo. Lighting, background, the position of the bird - these things all have to be right in order to make a beautiful final image. Keep at it, though...this is a beautiful bird and I'd love to see more of it!