Shy Stork

[Ricardo Rodriguez]

My first posting in BPN!
This Wood Stork was 10 ft away and patiently posed for me at Anhinga Trail in February.

Nikon D700, 70-200 mm f/2.8 VR II + 1.4TC (@280), SB900 flash iTTL BL 0 EV, HH
1/50 f/5 ISO400
Cropped 20% on top for composition, Viveza, Dfine NR, USM.

Comments are welcome,
Ricardo

Thank you, Dave and Alfred. I changed the image by cropping on the left as both of you suggested (Oops, I see now that I should've left the original and reposted the new one for comparison. Sorry)

[Dave Mills]

Hi Ricardo, welcome aboard! Your first post is a good one. I like the HA,detail,exposure and backround. I find in this case the feathers hiding part of the beak adds interest to the image. I don't think you need quite as much room on the left. I would crop some....

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Ricardo Mighty fine image Just the suggested crop !! Sure like the fine detail and exposure, lots of feel !! Having a young bird sure helps !! Sweet first post and looking forward to many more !!! Bienvenido !!

[Mark Young]

An excellent first post. The HA and exposure looks good. Agree with David about the feathers over the bill adding a nice touch.

[Lance Peters]

Hi Ricardo - A big warm welcome to BPN - Lovely first post - dont hesitate to jump right in and comment on other peoples images - all we ask is that you say what you like or do not like about the image you are commenting on - constructive comments are great, helps everyone learn.

This is really lovely - nice BG - fine feather detail - clear sharp eye and exposure and use of flash is good.
Lots to like here.
Looking forward to seeing more ;)

[Oscar Zangroniz]

Congrats on your first post. A fine one indeed. Great pose, has a soft warm feel.
Regards,

[Ricardo Rodriguez]

Thanks, Mark, Lance, and Oscar. I appreciate your comments.

[David Thomasson]

Welcome, Ricardo. You were lucky that this character consented to pose for you. Love that over-the-shoulder shy look, and
the direct gaze of the eye. I would bring that out more and, in fact, I went hog wild and turned it into a studio portrait. :cool:
If he was willing to pose, well ................

[Ricardo Rodriguez]

Hi David, I'm really glad you went "hog wild" with the image. What a stunning studio portrait look!! Many thanks.

You wouldn't believe how oblivious this stork was to my presence. In fact, Fabs and Richard (as I recall) were also very close by when I made the image. This guy couldn't care less; he stood motionless for a pretty long time.

Could you please sketch what you did so I can attempt to get a similar look from the RAW file?

I really appreciate all the comments and suggestions,

Ricardo

[David Thomasson]

Could you please sketch what you did so I can attempt to get a similar look from the RAW file?

Thanks, Ricardo. If you'll email me, I'll send you the psd file with all the layers intact. That might be clearer than a
description of my steps. It's kind of a messy process, sort of like legislation. :D Just click the link below and hit the
email button on my home page.