Day before yesterday morning was overcast, with occasional heavy mist. This avocet was very active, sweeping the shallow, muddy waters of the marsh, causing tiny flecks of mud spray. I liked that I caught it glancing at me and that my image caught the disturbed motion of the water and mud. The crop is minor, but with S/H, NR, and sharpening applied. I added a tiny catch-light in the eye. Critique appreciated.
Hello Wendell. Nice to get so close to this bird and to be able to observe his (or her) behavior. The light was not your friend and the image feels flat as a result. The other thing is that the bird feels crowded into the frame, and with the incomplete reflection, the composition is not too satisfying. I do hope that you get to work on this bird again in better conditions!
Great advise by Grace, I think warming the temperature a bit may help. I'd be tempted to clean the water in the upper right, it looks too much like sensor dust, although it is obvious it is not. TFS.
To add to the above, I think some fill flash would really have helped lighten up the underbelly. I almost always use fill flash on overcast days. A lower angle aslo wouldn't hurt. Nice head angle and pose.
I share your liking for this shot. Thinking of a lot of your earlier shots, I think you have come a long way. I like the sweep of the bill and the way he is looking up at you. You are getting a lower angle than you used to and the exposure looks pretty good. Maybe a little more contrast will lift it somewhat.
I visited my Avocet spot over the weekend, but they weren't very cooperative this time around. Have to work at it some more!
Gerald:
Good of you to comment. I, too, recall our past avocet posts, and the difference in looks between Belgium and California avocets. Fortunately, nearby me is a body of water with perhaps a dozen avocets in residence. And now with the active breeding season of the last few weeks I have had lots of chances for interesting photos. Yes, I think I'm getting a bit better, but far from perfection. I'm glad I rechecked this post and found your note, for I no longer get "automatic email notifications" when I subscribe -- something the site has been unable to fix. Manual rechecking is very time consuming and, of course, quite unsatisfactory. I hope others do not have the problem. It is hard to imagine how the site could be successful without that feature. Thanks again for looking. my best wishes . . .
American Avocet looking up at me
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