Black Stilt (Kaki)
The black stilt is the rarest bird in the world.
Taken in New Zealand and one of the few images I have where the multiple leg bands do not show.I am not a big fan of high key images but I like this one.
Canon 1 DX 600mm and 1.4 x
ISO 1600 SS 1/2000 F 6.3
About 80% FF.
Cloned out one grass under birds bill .Processed in DPP and PS CC.
Comments and critiques always appreciated and learned from with thanks.
Gail
Gail:
Nice pose, color harmony between legs and iris, grasses that give it a bit of depth (and keeps the high key from being too sterile).
Excellent shooting angle.
Cheers
Randy
Simply sublime canvas. TFS
Hi Gail ... I love this one , just because of the HK effect !!
All works well ....for me .
Just one minor issue , or better two .... you have some sharpening side affects along the birds outline ( black feathers / pale BG ) and the bird does look very slightly grainy . And maybe you can dodge that eye a tiny bit more ...
Nice work and clean work
TFS Andreas
This is such an awesome bird!
This is truly a "thanks for sharing" photo...
Also excellent!
Dan Kearl
Well. I'm a big fan of high-key, especially when perfectly done such as here. The strands of grass add so much interest. I wonder if the beautiful red eye could be livened up a touch? Perhaps lighten the darker parts of the iris? Awesome bird, you must have been happy to get such good images of one!
Love a good high key frame. This one is very nice. Framing is right on. Those grasses in the water give some nice balance.
Congratulations! Love the high key, grasses, pose. Wonderful capture of such a rarity.
Certainly a different looking image Gail and the HK is very effective here, which I like.
Perhaps an effect of NIK Andreas, and or the image being lifted? Changing the Exposure techs in camera may have offered a better result, being backlit.the bird does look very slightly grainy .
TFS
Steve
Hi Gail. wonderful experience finding this bird, I am sure you were pumped. I like the high key, nice treatment. Thank you for sharing.
Joe Przybyla
"Sometimes I do get to places just as God is ready to have somebody click the shutter"... Ansel Adams
www.amazinglight.smugmug.com
Hi Steve,
No NIK used in this one. I raised the exposure by 0.15 in LR.
Here is full frame JPEG and an image of the sliders I used
Hard to tell from the above, albeit that it looks better, but as I said and like Andreas's initial comment, the subject does look a bit 'grainy' in parts for ISO1600, however it was just an observation.
Hi Gail .... and Steve , might be a LR thing. As I do not use LR ( but use the ACR filter at times ) , I can only share my thoughts on your used sliders in that screenshot .
You lifted shadows , you used Texture ( which amplifies grain ) and you added for sure sharpening .... plus clarity ( what also amplifies grain/noise ) .... might be one thing to think about !!! I might be not right .... though .
Would be good to see a comparison created with the clunky DPP , but do not follow blindly guides and the recommenced settings within DPP
Cheers Andreas
Thanks for sharing this Gail...Very well captured, no nits from me.
Will
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