Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)

[Juan Aragonés]

Another image from my day with the pratincoles. A group of spoonbills flew very low over our heads and it was difficult to get a flight image with the complete bird into the frame. This one is a full frame image but I croped a bit from the right for a square composition. BTW, the blue color in the spoon of this guy is in the RAW file and I think that it is due to the light reflecting on another spoonbill flying under this one. This lens rocks, no matter if you use it for flights, handhold it or use with TCs. I love it

Comments, critics and suggestions are highlt apreciated:)

Nikon D300 AFS Nikkor 500VR+1,4X-TC handheld 1/1000s f8 ISO400 Manual exposure

[Morkel Erasmus]

what a weird but stunning sky colour, I love that you got eye contact and the whites are nicely exposed! I would leave the space you cropped out to the right but that's just taste.

[Juan Aragonés]

Yes, the blue color is a bit weird but you have to see the original file, much saturated then here, in fact I desaturated the sky to look for a more natural look but with a white bird, such intense light and just a second to shoot it is difficult to find the perfect exposure.

[Randy Stout]

Juan:

A lovely capture, I like the eye contact, which for a fly over is about as good as it gets. When I am shooting sandhill cranes, they often cant their head like this as the fly over, as if trying to get a good look at you.

The detail in the upper wing is very nice. Might consider teasing out a bit more on the lower wing without making it look artifical, just a bit of shadows adjustment perhaps.

Thanks for sharing this beauty. You are tempting me on the lens. Try not to be so enthusiastic please!

Randy

[Aidan Briggs]

I love the eye contact, and great job on the whites. The bottom wing in shadow bugs me a little, and I might de-sat the sky a tad.

Well Done!

[Ramon M. Casares]

Lovely pose, exposure look preety good to me Juan, excellent head turn and although light angle coul've been better in a perfect world, light is nice and work to me as you managed the exposure very well IMO.
My one suggestion would be to remove the blue color from the bill.
Congratulations!!

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I like the wing position, details and look-down pose and would desaturate the sky more.

[Dave Leroy]

Lovely details Juan and good for you to enjoy the lense so much. I really like the display of the birds colours, as minimal as they are. Interesting about the blue on the bill. Dave

[Stu Bowie]

Great detail from the underwings Juan, and well exposed. I would maybe take a bit off the left.