Simplicity

[Grace Scalzo]

Perhaps my personal fav capture so far of 2013, but I'm a big girl...let me have your honest opinions and critiques. Sometimes I get too close to the image to properly evaluate it.

1/1600, f9, iso800
Canon 1Dx, 600f4 + 2.0 tc + lowered rrs tripod
Editing included removeal of a snail that intersected the reflection of the grass.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Grace, I really like this. The light is nice and soft, and you have timed the pose very well to get the raised foot, and the calmness of the water puts this over the top. The off centre placement of the plover works so well, as does the single blade of grass. Well thought out, and an opportunity well seen.

[Richard Flack]

Fantastic image Grace. I really like this and it seems to grow on me the more times I view it. Well done!

[Frank Schauf]

Great picture, nice deep shooting and great soft light.

[arash_hazeghi]

this is very cool, love the low angles that you get with the shorebirds and the small element of habitat...I like the crop with the small trail in the water but a 3:2 would work well too

[Chris Kotze]

Lovely low angle, super comp and soft colours.

[vishaljadhav]

Impressive IQ and great looking colours, the bird is looking lovely,
the grass blade is amazing in the image. The raised foot adds a lot to the image.
IMHO i may like a inch less on the left and inch more on the right just because my eye sees the bird past the centre and more empty space behind the bird, the water trail is interesting but its just my eye.
The concept is lovely

[Joe Senzatimore]

Glad you finally posted this one. loved it from the get go.

[dankearl]

I can see why you love this.
I do also. Pure simple Art.... Most of us would have cropped it tighter, cropped a bunch of the left side,
(at least that would have been my impulse), but you left the complete water trail because you are you..
Beautiful.

[Karl Egressy]

I really like this image. The crop is very nice so are the raised foot and the single plant in the water. Excellent work.

[Shawn Zierman]

Besides the technical aspects (which pretty much rock)... I like the creativity here. This is the type of image that hardly anyone starting out in bird photography would come up with...like aged wine...not saying you are old...an unconventional image that works imo.

[Don Lacy]

This is a wonderful image Grace love everything about it from the beautiful light to the crop and placement of the subject in the frame. This is the difference between taking an image and creating one.

[Don Railton]

All been said Grace, and I agree, this is one sweet image...

DON

[Iain Barker]

Fantastic image Grace.

Hope to have images as good as this someday. Can't fault it.

[Matthew Studebaker]

very nice. the grass completes it.

[nrohrbacker]

I love the feeling of motion with the leg and the single blade of grass gives it great environmental impact. You should be happy to call this your best of 2013.

[Melissa Groo]

Lovely image, and I can see why it is a favorite of yours, Grace. It is indeed very artistic, from the crop, to the composition, to the relationship between the plover and the grass. Nothing to change here. This is a treat to view. TFS.

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

Mmmmm... so lovely work!
I can visualize this as a large print in a living room, then I could go 3:2 as mention by Arash. Nothing to change, just so much information in such a simplistic image, very well done, I guess that's what they call art!!!

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

Grace, this is genius. It just flows and feels so right the way you composed it. I love the low angle, the raised foot, the trail, the greens, the flat water Ohh.... just all of it :)

[Melvin Grey]

Grace, this is one BEAUTIFUL image - one to really be proud of just as it is.

[Satish Ranadive]

Spectacular image. Simple and very very sweet. Wonderful composition, beautiful single grass blade, nice low angle and lights.

Regards,
Satish.

[gail bisson]

The Queen of Composition strikes again!
Lovely,
Gail

[David Salem]

Very nice Grace. Clean and elegant. Great job.

[John Ippolito]

Love the unorthodox composition, with the blade of grass and the trailing wake. Beautifully seen and composed, Grace. Excellent work.

[Marina Scarr]

Lovely and unique comp, Grace. Thought provoking!