Low key Coot

[Kerry Perkins]

I wasn't sure if I could post this to the bird forums, since the Coot doesn't stand out from the background. I'm interested in hearing what you folks think about it. I kinda like it, but I'm biased... ;)

There's no real PP work on this one, just cropping, saturation, and sharpening. I guess this would be an in-camera effect - deliberately underexposing so the water almost drops out and only the highlights of the bird are visible.

Comments most welcome. :)

[denise ippolito]

Kerry, I think this would be perfect for next weeks theme. The action captured a moody light are very nice. Very cool.:)

[Mark Fuge]

Nice image and application, Kerry.

Like the colors with the dark BG. The action is also nice.

[Deborah Hanson]

I find that I really like the image. The whites stand out just enough (aren't hot) to draw the viewer to the face and wings. The eye is visible to keep attention on the face. The legs, reflections, and water add to the visual effects of the photo.
Something different/creative is always good in bird photography.
Deb

[Van Hilliard]

I like it too. At first look, it suggests action and draws the viewer in. Subsequently, a closer look reveals even more to the viewer. I'd call it very successful.

[Nicki Gwynn Jones]

Awesome Kerry - this is something different - the nicest coot image that I have seen. I love the low-key look and the water, and the detail that you have maintained is lovely :)
Best,
Nicki

[Kerry Perkins]

Gosh, I did something early instead of late! :D I should have looked at the themes first... :o

Thank you for your comments, much appreciated! I think I have a couple more for next week, as I've been experimenting with this look in the field. Guess now I know what it's called! ;)

[Christopher Miller]

I like this quite a lot, Kerry. Excellent action and feel. Love the sharp details of the water. At first I felt I'd prefer a little more separation between the bird and BG, but it's grown on me as I look at it. :)

[Indranil Sircar]

Thank you Kerry for getting us started early for next week :D. I love this a lot. Very nice composition. I love seeing these coots almost skimming the water and you have captured that action well. With dark bg, it really stands out.

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Great work Kerry , love the catchlight in the eye. Perfect for the chiaroscuro theme. Did you have to do much NR?

[Kerry Perkins]

Jackie, I was surprised to find very little noise in this one. I did run one pass of Noise Ninja, but I could barely tell the difference. I think it's because the values in the image are mostly very low.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Kerry, this is great! I love the action of the coot - he almost looks like he's skipping across the water. I really like everything about it:)