Pectoral Sandpiper (juvenile).

[Daniel Cadieux]

Photo taken on a dreary, cold, windy, damp day this past weekend...but its not everyday I get to belly-crawl in the mud to within 10 feet of a Pectoral Sandpiper so it was well worth it! Besides, I like the even lighting caused by cloudy days...had it been sunny the light angle this was taken from would have been quite awful. The perfect HA was made possible by pishing to get this individual to turn its head a bit towards me.

Canon 7D + 100-400L @340mm, manual exposure, evaluative metering, 1/200s., f/6.3, ISO 800 (settings histogram checked), natural light, handheld, just about FF. A feather cloned from the FG, as well as a distracting protruding object from the "clump".

[Luis Villablanca]

Wow! Love this one. The composition, pose, head angle and sharpness are all excellent.
Excellent job approaching the bird without flushing it.
I should stop complaining about our foggy mornings and just go out and take pictures...

[Stu Bowie]

Hey Dan, no worries regarding the HAP in this, and your low perspective works so well. I agree with you that the even light has worked in your favour, and I like how the colours on the sandpiper stand out against the overcast conditions. The foliage on the RHS balances the comp nicely. Well captured.

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Masterfully done. great job in getting close. loved the low angle, sharpness, exp. and the pose.

[Jim Crosswell]

Excellent image Daniel! I like the composition, lighting, exposure and HA.

[Bill Dix]

Lovely even lighting, great HA, wonderful balanced comp. Well done to approach the bird and get him to cooperate. I'd love to get this species.

[dankearl]

Looks like a painting Daniel, very nice.
Cloudy days are the best to me, the light looks nice.

[Sidharth Kodikal]

Perfect comp, low angle, head turn and sharpness.
Just love this image.
If anything, I wish the "clump" was more interesting.
Almost FF at 340mm - you really ought to write a book on field craft!

[Robert Holguin]

Wow!!! Love everything about this shot from the pose to the low angle. Well done.

[arash_hazeghi]

very nice low angle and the head turn is a bonus

[christopher galeski]

just one word excellent,very welldone.

[gail bisson]

It looks like a painting. The light is superb. Calm, ethereal feeling to the image. A keeper for sure,
Gail

[Lorant Voros]

Yes, this is perfect head angle for sure. I like that you included the piece of land in the photo in front of the bird. I use the "belly-crawl" technique as well, but in the painful salt pond:-). Beautiful image and thanks for sharing.

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

I really love the amazing crystal clean water and bg with the vegetation on the right side.Light and detail super too.I really like this image.

[Doug Brown]

The low angle and habitat work very well. Great head angle, excellent sharpness, and a perfect exposure. Come to New Mexico and I'll show you how to take pictures without getting covered in mud. :w3