The Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus) is very common in Wyoming mountain streams, but they are a real challange to photograph. This is a juvenile and is much paler and in my experience more tolerant than the very dark grey adults, both factors make for easier photography on the ice. Successful photography calls for lots of observation and then setting up on the ice at eye level and waiting for the bird to return to one of it's feeding areas.
Terrific photo Mike! Love the low angle and the layering created by the high-key area up top, the ice, and the blue water. Also like the way you can see the feet through the water. Excellent sharpness, and nice job with the exposure.
Great capture of this bird. I like the angle, setting and composition, also great to see the feet. The bird looks a bit oversharpened on my monitor and I might remove the specular highlights in the water.
Fantastic capture and I have to congratulate on your patience. We saw them briefly when we went there with Dale, but we didn't set up shop to get them. Well, next trip :)
Good looking bird!
Are these guys hard to photograph???
Tell me!
I agree with you 100%, they are hard to photograph, but you have done a great job here. Very good eye contact, sharpness and careful compo. Thanks for sharing.
Excellent job, Mike. Lovely light and pose , that water with the feet showing through is fantastic. I agree with Axel that the sharpening could be dialled back a little.
This one is simply one of the best shot I have ever seen of these species, everything from the light, to ambien, BG, comp, dfetail and pose is great, but those feet under water put this one up up over the top! IOTW to me! Congratulaitons!
Spectacular setting and wonderful photograph as noted above. I would change a few things and hope for one major one. The major one first: when a bird is angled towards us (as in this photograph), it is my belief that a perfectly square head angle is less than ideal, that in images with the head a bit more parallel to the body, that the image will be more powerful. With the light from the right, not too much, just a bit.) As is, it looks to me as if the bird is facing slightly away. With my calibration strip looking perfect, the breast looks a bit bright. You miight try increasing the density there with a Linear Burn. Lastly, with all that light around the eye looks a bir funky; making a Quick Mask of the pupil and darkening it would make the eye pop.
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American Dipper
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