The bodyguards

[Giuseppe Varano]

Black-winged Stilts and Wood Sandpiper

1DIII 600mm 2x f/16 1/400 ISO 800

Thanks in advance for looking and comments, all critiques are welcome.

All the best

[Richard Unsworth]

Nice one; really like all the bills going the same way, cute WS in the middle.
Soft from the x 2 but great idea! and title.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Yes the title is well thought of! I like the concept of the image. Too bad the right bird is not closer to the other two, and I would try to clean up the smudgy area near the WS' bill. Did you need to do some water clean-up?

[Joe Senzatimore]

Might lighten up the bird in the center as well.

[Giuseppe Varano]

Thanks guys for your replies and suggestions.

. Did you need to do some water clean-up?

I'm really lazy in post production but i'd like to see somting about it.

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

I like the moment with the symmetry. Very very good call on stopping down so much. DOF is extremely critical in such shots.

I'd have composed it differently though. I think you can crop some from the bottom and if you have add a tiny bit to the right side. I think that will create better balance.

[Giuseppe Varano]

I like the moment with the symmetry. Very very good call on stopping down so much. DOF is extremely critical in such shots.

I'd have composed it differently though. I think you can crop some from the bottom and if you have add a tiny bit to the right side. I think that will create better balance.

Thanks for your reply Kaustubh, I agree with your suggestion but unfortunately the picture is full frame and I did not crop margins.
Daniel was right: too bad the right bird is not closer to the other two. In the case with a light crop the image would be of even greater impact also in this dimension.
I had just enough time to fit the 2x to catch the moment immediately after the birds have broken lines.