Spoonbill Preaning

[Maxis Gamez]

[IMG]http://www.********.org/bpn/40D/_MG_0716.jpg[/IMG]
Spoonbill Preaning - S.W Florida

This one from Yesterday morning. We had a cloudy day. I think this pose goes well with the light. The blue horizon line was near the Spoonbill's eye so I moved it higher using Quick Mask.

I also left a feather in the water as part of the story.Do you think the blue and the feather works??

Hope you like it.

40D, 500mm L @ f/5.6, 1/500 sec, ISO 400, Handheld, Almost full frame.

[Loukie Viljoen]

Horizon no problem for me, BUT if you did not say it was a feather, nobody will know, if the feather was sharp, also closer to the legs so you knew it comes from the spoonbill, then different story, now it just an OOF blob on the water, I will take it out if it were mine, nobody except you will miss it, well handled otherwise, the soft light did the feather texture a lot of good, over the top!!

[Daniel Cadieux]

Loukie, great point about the feather - I agree with you.

Otherwise quite an appealing image...what I like best is the bill visible through the feather, very cool!

[Fernando Cerra]

Maxis, the transparent feather is what makes this photo special, I love this photo.
I don´t have a problem with the feather on the water, but I don´t like the blue line on top I think it should be removed.

[Ed Grella]

Maxis,
How about bringing the blue horizon line down to meet with the sand?

[susanschermer]

Sorry, Maxis, but your photo skills outweigh your spelling. Try "preening". BTW, I really like this image of a spoonbill. Soft lighting. I would clone out the feather, leave the horizon alone, and if it were mine I would
do a little lightening on the head of the bird. I'm surprised to see a spoonbill with breeding colors at this time of year. Where did you shoot this?

[bill kominsky]

You actually do not notice the feather Maxis and the image is working for all aspects, beautifull done as usual.

Bill

[Rosl Roessner]

Beautiful Composition, I love the feather in the beak! Don't mind about the feather in the water.
Great details and color.

[Maxis Gamez]

Sorry, Maxis, but your photo skills outweigh your spelling. Try "preening".

Thanks for the correction Susan. Typing tooooo fast!! :D

I was told by an expert birder that this Spoonbill is about 5 years old, based on the head colors.

Thanks!

[Rob Lavoie]

Beautiful work Maxis

[Mark Schmitt]

Graduated BG's are fine IMHO. The blending of the blues keeps the BG from being a monotone. The translucent quality of the wing feather is appealing. Agree with the feather in the water as a non-issue. It is the colours that are the most compelling part of the image: they are dynamic, and blue is fine. Blue and red (on the color wheel) are complimentary primaies creating magenta (pink in the bird) : absolutely work in the composition. The colours in the face are where the eye is lead after being damanded by the pinks. The bill pulls the eye to the wing where the story is: preening. Good image. ;);) My only nit, if I may without being too critical, would be to have done some selective dodge and burn on the breast feathers to create some contrast to produce some definition.

[Juan Aragonés]

This one is terrific Maxis:eek::eek:, the low angle, the fantastic light, the colors and the bird´s pose. Love the details on the face and it is possible to see the denticles inside the bill. The tip of the bill almost hidden by the transparent pink feather is too good to be true. Love the raised foot and the splendid eye contact. I absolutely agree with Loukie about the OOF feather. Big congratulations