I took this in late May while lying flat on an alkaline flat at the edge of Bowdoin Lake in NE Montana. It was a cloudy day and I had been discouraged while trying to photograph the avocets in the water, as there just wasn't sufficient light. I decided to pack it in and drive back to my motel, but while I was leaving the refuge, I noticed a couple of avocets on an alkaline flat, and I figured that the brightness of the substrate might act to bounce light back up, and be a giant softbox. I pulled over, and crept up on a pair, and got a series of photos that may be my favorite of the trip; I was able to witness and photograph the pair building a nest. This shows one of them just posing nicely. I loved how the colors of the background complemented the colors of the avocet in breeding plumage. P.S. I had never known before that their legs and area around eye turn blue.
Some crop, NR, and sharpening.
Thank you so much for any comments and critiques.
Last edited by Melissa Groo; 08-27-2013 at 04:23 PM.
Absolutely stunning, Melissa. I think I like this even better than your super Living Bird cover. Good thinking about the uplight from the alkaline flat. I think that once I made the decision to head back to the motel, I would be focused on a cool drink to end the discouraging day, rather than thinking clearly about the opportunities around me. Well conceived and beautifully executed. The head turn, slightly open bill, background color, and delicate vegetation make this a stunner.
Melissa, I love the complimentary colors with the nice BG. This is another bird I am trying to get a good shot of. I grew up in the 'cuse, and I see you're a central NYer! Go Orange.
Wow....
The FG is so cool, I have never seen anything like it with this species and the vegetation also
is a superb feature. I might just run another light round of NR on the BG.
Terrific photo, I can't wait for more.....
Wow is right! This is my favorite shorebird and I can honestly say this one of, if not the, most painterly shot it I have ever seen of this species. Beautiful.
I was going to post a one word response, "Print!!"
Wow Melissa , I thought I liked this on Facebook but seeing it larger I absolutely love it. The ground cover is so nice and the over all color palette is so pleasing to me. Love the birds position too. This is a beautiful image and I am surely jealous!
A wonderful painterly quality, and an absolutely artistic image, but I find myself wanting to find just a little more texture or tonal detail in the bird. But that's a small thing for such a wonderful image! A great lesson in how to persist to get great shots.
Absolutely marvelous image with excellent color scheme.
Love the pose, colors and details. Grass along the legs looks fantastic.
Great composition too.
The only thing I can add is that I love how everything in the frame seems to be flowing right except the bird's head which lends this a very artistic feel. Agree with the NR on the BG. I absolutely love this shot.
love everything about the image. LIke the low angle and the in focus vegetation , Love the way the OOF salt gives it a snowy feel. perfect comp, and exposure. Sharpness all spot on.
Agree with Lyle above, everything in the frame is flowing to the right and the bird seems to have paused and looking back to the left. I like that.
love everything about the image. LIke the low angle and the in focus vegetation , Love the way the OOF salt gives it a snowy feel. perfect comp, and exposure. Sharpness all spot on.
Agree with Lyle above, everything in the frame is flowing to the right and the bird seems to have paused and looking back to the left. I like that.
Hi Melissa, good look back pose, and I like how the bill follows the line of the avocets back. I really like the setting here with the hint of foliage at the bottom, and with the avocet posed against the OOF BG. I do feel that the BG does need a touch of NR.
Not much to add that hasn't been said already. This is a fantastic shot! You've definitely nailed everything about this one. Well worth the effort. I'm also in the group that thinks some additional NR on the background will elevate this some but even without it this shot is superb.
American Avocet on Saline Flat, Montana
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