Mating Black-Necked Stilts

[Melissa Groo]

Canon 1D4
700mm
Skimmer Pod

f/9
ISO 500
1/2500

Taken in a swampy area in Fort Myers that Marina Scarr and I visited a couple times last May. Some time ago I posted a photograph of these two post-mating, with bills crossed. This precedes that photo, and is the same pair. I was thrilled to be able to photograph these birds, and felt so lucky to witness and capture a copulation.
I like the way his wings look like a bow (or a wind-up toy), and that you can see how that crazy long leg is all folded up. The background was nice and distant, and I was very low with my skimmer pod. Stilts, just as avocets to whom they are related, tend to make bubbles in the water before they mate, and I was glad the water still held those bubbles.
Crop, highlight recovery, sharpening, NR.
Thank you kindly in advance for any comments and critiques.

[Jack Breakfast]

Oh Melissa, this is a highly loveable picture, all right? I'm going to stare at it for a while. I adore the interaction you've captured. Of course it's the interaction that makes this photo! Such weird and wonderful birdliness, that folded leg and those red eyes. Hubba hubba. Nice background, too!

[Karl Egressy]

Excellent action shot, Melissa. Love the eye contact with both and the background.

[arash_hazeghi]

very nice pose and interaction Melissa! since I have photographed these birds too I can tell there is a strong green cast on the whites and an overall yellow cast in the image. should be easy to fix

great eye contact from both

[PhilCook]

hehehehe....male chivalry and romance is still strong it seems, what a nice man, carrying his wife across the muddy lake so she doesn't get her feet wet.....ummmm......I'm very naive lol lol

Agree there is a slight green color cast, but then again maybe it's simply a greenish reflection emanating up from the water ? This is a great shot Melissa, wonderful interaction, something I have not witnessed with the Stilts here. The eye on the female is very engaging and rather like the slightly open beak of the male { as he whispers sweet nothings in here ear }

These are the kind of shots I dream of getting, something a little different and displaying natural behavior...one has to keep trying I guess sighhhhhh

[Melissa Groo]

Exactly why I love this forum--such helpful comments. Thank you, Arash, I just went in and desaturated the whites, as well as took some yellow out of the overall color balance. It was almost 6 pm and the light was quite warm, but I do think this looks much better and certainly the stilts were never greenish to begin with, they must have taken in quite a bit of the reflection of the water in the image.
Please let me know if you think it's more realistic now.

[gail bisson]

The pose, BG , bubbles, feet on shoulder and beautiful eye contact on both birds make this a special image.
Repost really improves the shot.
If I recall, On your previous image of this pair, Ofer suggested a cooling filter and that really made the image sing a swell. Just a different way to "skin a cat".
well done Melissa,
Gail

[arash_hazeghi]

Hey Melissa,
this would be my version. I added blue to lessen the yellowish cast. the best way to check the whites is using the eye dropper tool (I do 9X9 average) in PS. If you look at the histogram the image is a bit dark too so I balanced the exposure a bit.

Attachment 116896

[Marina Scarr]

The repost looks much better in terms of color. Just love the behavior and the colors. My favorite part of their mating ritual are all the bubbles.

Just noticed Arashes repost. The whites in his look a little whiter and crisper.

[Satish Ranadive]

Magnificent behavior shot.I like the repost.
Love the great details in whites and blacks and eyes of the birds.Nice pose and BG too.

Regards,
Satish.

[Melissa Groo]

Thank you Arash, for taking the time to rework that, and for your explanation. I tried your process in PS and found it did the trick too. I like that eyedropper technique. Something I should employ more often as I seem to have an issue with color casts!

[Sachin Saraf]

Well done Melissa getting the interactive pose and good eye contact on both birds...The repost by Arash takes it to next level...

[arash_hazeghi]

. Something I should employ more often as I seem to have an issue with color casts!

sounds like you need to calibrate your monitor!

[Melissa Groo]

I think you may be onto something, Arash. thanks. I'll check it out.