Little Shag - Lake Rotorua, NZ

[Tony Whitehead]

Image made in the last light of the setting sun this evening. Sky was a bit bland so I used Nik ColorEfex to create a BG. My choice would have been to eliminate the OOF leaf at capture but it was impossible to get into a position to do this. Some OOF twigs cleaned from right side of the image.
Nikon D700
Nikon 500VR + 1.4x
ISO 800 1/1250 f5.6 +1EC
Suggestions and advice appreciated

[Arthur Morris]

I love the COMP including the leaves and I love the created BKGR colors. And the sweet bird. I just got the whole NIK package and need to learn how to use it!

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Interesting composition, I also like eye contact and BG and would tone down the whites some.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Sweet image Tony! I notice the perch also has a matching gradiant from the BG. Did you also apply the ColorEfex to said perch, or did you choose the BG to match the perch?

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Tony, the first thing that struck me in this was the two tone BG. Thanks for explaining your process. I like the light, showing up the feather detail. I presume this little guy is part of the cormorant family.

[Tony Whitehead]

Sweet image Tony! I notice the perch also has a matching gradiant from the BG. Did you also apply the ColorEfex to said perch, or did you choose the BG to match the perch?

Well spotted, Dan. I didn't mask the gradient from the perch. . My layered master has a version like that but I preferred this one.

[Tony Whitehead]

I presume this little guy is part of the cormorant family.

Yes, Stuart. It's a kiwism - all our cormorants are known as shags. The same bird in Auz is known as the Little Cormorant:)

[Jim Crosswell]

Very clean image Tony! I like the effect you created in the BG.

[Martin Wallis]

I love the fine detail in the blacks. I freaked at the BG until I read ur explanation:D Another awesome shot.

[Mike Godwin]

I like this alot Tony, but I'll have to disagree with Artie on the leaves... if it was mine and I was doing all that BKGR work I'd lose them and remove the gradient blues on the lower limb. Heck, I'd even be tempted to "crop" the branch a shade on the left so it doesn't go out of frame. Whites just a shade bright around the eye and on the neck, at least to my eyes. Love what you did to the background, and the comp is great. Been thinking about a trip to the North Island perhaps this year, had such a blast on the South Island a few years back!