Black-necked Stilts at Gilbert Water Ranch (Gilbert, Arizona)
Right after mating these stilts go thru this crossed billed ballet and is one of the few interactions I have seen between birds. Its lasts for less than ten seconds and if the light is right and they are in distance and they are facing you -- you can get a really nice shot.
The grey at the back of the neck of the foreground bird is also on the raw picture. Not sure what it is.
1/3200 at F8 and ISO400 EC -1
Bigma at 500mm
Canon 40D
Cool interaction, details and exposure control. I might crop a tad off the bottom and maybe the remove the shadow of the bill on the neck of the bird on the left.
Great capture Scott! You got the "red eye" on the Black Necked Stilt, which is tough to do...but necessary to get them right. Only improvement I can suggest is to perhaps try and draw some detail out in the blacks. It looks like there is detail in there, and I think it would enhance this very nice image if you selectively enhanced it.
Really fine pose you caught here Scott. I agree about some more detail under the wings. Perhaps run some selective noise reduction on those blacks and that may help you get some finer detail. I love the interaction and those gorgeous eyes. :)
I already see some noise under the wings, so I would really be careful about that if you do decide to try and bring up those shadows. I agree with Axel about cropping below - just enough to rid the white reflection. The "grey" at he back of the neck appears to be some black feathers from that area of the plumage. Excellent interaction, a nice display of affection!
Cross-bill Ballet
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