Black-necked Ibis in action

[Somdeb Biswas]

Black-necked Ibis in action -


As the water level goes down at Mangalajodi Swamp area, Orissa, India, these subjects feast on the snakes which becomes visible. Here the snake (I do not know its ID) is giving a last try to save itself by coiling itself to the grassroots.


Nikon D500, 500F4 G ED VR.
Exposure Time - 1/1000 seconds, F Number – 8.00, Exposure Program - Aperture priority, ISO – 640, White Balance – SUNNY, Focus Mode - AF-C;


I appreciate all critiques.
THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR VIEWING & INPUTS.

[Arthur Morris]

Hi Somdeb-bhai,

Interesting behavior. Exposure looks good. With the light from the left, a good portion of the bird's face and bill are in shadow. So you have some dark tones in the shade and some whites in the sun ... Not good. if possible, try to get your shadow pointed right at the subject to avoid such problems. You can likely open up the darker tones with Detail Extractor in Color EFEX Pro but don't over-do it. Lastly the face looks as if it could use some selective sharpening.

Welcome and thanks a stack for your membership support.

with love, artie

[Somdeb Biswas]

Thanks a ton, Sir.
Really overwhelmed, overjoyed to have input from "Arthur Morris" himself.

As I feel my processing skills are very faulty, I restricted myself to some simple adjustments in Adobe Photoshop. Your suggestion will help me in the long run.
Thanks a lot, Sir. Thanks a lot.
with the utmost respect and warm regards,
Somdeb

[Jonathan Ashton]

Nice image but I think I see a green cast in the blacks, nothing you could do about the light , I think if you looked at the blacks/near black then consider further alternatives it would be good. The snake is not pin sharp but it would have been extremely fortuitous had it been. (?focal length don't be afraid of using 1/1600 or faster.. it makes a difference).

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks a ton, Sir.
Really overwhelmed, overjoyed to have input from "Arthur Morris" himself.

As I feel my processing skills are very faulty, I restricted myself to some simple adjustments in Adobe Photoshop. Your suggestion will help me in the long run.
Thanks a lot, Sir. Thanks a lot.
with the utmost respect and warm regards,
Somdeb

Somdeb-bhai, Thanks for your kind words. i am just an average kid from Brooklyn who has worked hard at doing what he loves and been lucky :) And you are most welcome. I would recommend the BAA Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II) to anyone who wants to improve their processing skills. You can order one here; sent via e-mail.

with love, artie

[Jim Wetherall]

Somdeb, great action shot! I love seeing behaviour like this. I've got nothing to add on the critique as Arthur and Jonathan have covered it far better than I ever could! As for the snake ID, I believe this to be a member of either the Gerarda or Cerberus genus of Colubrids. I photographed these in the Sunderbans, Bangladesh a few years ago and both were found in or near large bodies of water. I don't know a great deal about Colubrids (not my forte) so this could be a member of a different genus but it certainly has similar characteristics of the individuals previously mentioned!

[Somdeb Biswas]

I got the ID of the Snake taking help from a Facebook Group. Its Smooth scaled water snake (Enhydris enhydris).
Thanks a ton for your inputs.
With warm regards,
Somdeb