Juvenile Black-necked Stilt

[Melissa Usrey]

Along with Burrowing Owls and American Avocets, Black-necked Stilts are among my favorite birds to photograph. Their long legs and elegance are a joy to watch.

[John Mack]

Pretty harsh light here and the bird looks a little soft. I do like the raised foot and the water drop on the bill. The composition is nice as well.

[gail bisson]

Hi Melissa,
I love stilts too!
You have a nice pose with the foot skimming the water surface and the water droplet hanging from the bill.
The big problem with this image is the harsh light , as John has mentioned. It washes out the blacks and makes the image quite contrasty.
I would have preferred a lower POV as I am not crazy about the water color and the pattern within. Perhaps a lower POV was not possible or there was something in the BG that was not nice?
You could try warming the picture up a bit to give the illusion of softer, warmer light.
Time to start getting up early or staying out late!!
Thanks for showing,
Gail
Gail

[Marina Scarr]

You have a lovely subject with nice behavior and that droplet of water but the light is very harsh here.

[Melissa Usrey]

Thank you Gail! I need to work on it some more. I just looked up the time it was taken: 4:15 p.m., so I wouldn't think the light would have been too harsh. I guess it's the way I shot the Stilt.

[Melissa Usrey]

Thank you Marina. I'm learning!!!!!

[Melissa Usrey]

Is this one any better? I took it an hour before sunset.

f/8
560mm
1/1250 sec.
ISO 500