Sacred Ibis

[Glennie Passier]

Sacred Ibis - Threskiornis aethiopicus

I found this guy in a drain (for want of a better word) at lunch time. (Yes. My camera travels with me to work)

Light was hard and high. There was something underneath the water making huge swirls and ripples that made the image look like it should be rotated. I did several versions of the this. The background appeared a little bright.

PP includes - ACR - Shadow and Black sliders pushed to the right.
In PSCS6 - Cloned out some rubbish in the water. HSL Layers, Brightened his eye and some feathers. He wasn't the cleanest looking fellow. Cropped and re-sized and selectively sharpened for the web. 60% of FF

Canon 5D2
Lens - Sigma Sport 150-600 5-6.3 @600mm
1/5000 sec
ISO 800
Monopod
spot metering
manual

C&C always appreciated and welcomed.

[Jim Keener]

What a find. You've somehow taken a hard light and softened it. The overall image seems dark, both the bird and the large area in the right part of the frame. My eye tends towards that big dark area. It likely doesn't surprise you to learn that I would have cropped closer on the right. The water dropping off his beak adds much interest.

[Diane Miller]

I love it when birds drool!! Very nice handling of the light, as Jim said. I like the tonalities -- whites are bright but not blown, and good shadow detail. I'd probably also trim a little off the right and dark tones might be a little lighter -- mostly in the water and BG birds.

I love how a photograph can make a mundane place look interesting. Good choice of wide aperture.

[Jack Dean III]

Good catch Glennie. Good job on of taking care of the harsh light and I love the water dripping from its beak.