American Oystercatcher at Sunrise

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I photographed this oystercatcher a few minutes after sunrise. I desaturated the image a few points to get more details in the reds, which is unfortunate since the colors were even more vibrant in reality.



1D3, 500f4, 1.4x, 1/500s, f/7.1, EC +0.33, ISO 800

[Juan Aragonés]

Axel I think that you did it well with the desaturation of the reds because the red channel is very easily overexposed and oversaturated in digital. The warm light is very rich and sweet making this almost B/W bird a subject full of textures and colors. I like the BG but I think that if you tone down it would be much better. Great eye contact, BTW :-)

[Dave Phillips]

a perfect slight head turn.
IMO, the soft edge of the surf adds a nice environmental element

[Danny Laredo]

Stunning image Axel. Love the light.

[Stu Bowie]

Sweet, sweet light Axel, and love the low angle in this. You have exposed this very well, and I like the coming in of the tide in the BG.

[Chris Kotze]

Super angle,sweet colours and light.

[Steve Canuel]

Nice light and pose. I like the shine of the wet sand and the surf in the BG.

[Manos Papadomanolakis]

I really like the soft/warm light,angle and the pose!

[Tony Whitehead]

Lovely light and striding pose. The wave edge really adds to the image.

[Krijn Trimbos]

Excellent shot Axel! Like the leg position, eye contact and light. I wish the wavelet would have continued all the way up to the top of the frame. Otherwise perfect!

[Fabs Forns]

What wonderful light you got. OCs are very cooperative with you :)

[Ramon M. Casares]

I much agree with Juan Aragonés' comment, I like this image very much! Congratulations!

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

Very nice warm light here Axel. I believe you were wise by detat the reds, the image looks very natural and well balanced.

Love those pink legs.

[Jim Fenton]

Like the pose, the background and the long light.

On my monitor, the bill looks not over saturated, but too "daygloish" (is these such a word)? ......Almost fluorescent?

Also, some of the whites look blown on my end, on the body just below the wing.

I do know that warm light will cause things to look this way....if it were me, even though it didn't match the intensity of the colors your eyes were seeing, I might have tones it down a tad more