Avocets late evening mating

[Ondrej Prosicky]

Pied Avocet, Autor: Ondřej Prosický | NaturePhoto.cz, Model: Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, Lens: Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS USM + TC Canon 1,4x , (EQ35mm): 910 mm, Gitzo, f/8.0, 1/500 s, ISO: 400, Date: May 5, 2010 203:35, Vagejot, Texel (Holland)

From my trip to Holland in May 2010.

Ondrej Prosicky | NaturePhoto.cz

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[Phil Ertel]

Hi Ondrej,

Quite the moment you captured. The pose of both birds is very nice and your angle of capture displays the action very well. However, the birds are too dark for my taste. While the backlighting coming though the out stretched wings is pleasing it has left most of our view of the birds in the shadows. Some fill-flash might have helped illuminate the birds. Selectively lightening the birds in post processing might be worth the effect as I think it would enhance the image.

I would also crop off a little of the out of focus foreground off the bottom of the image.

Thanks for sharing.

[Connie Mier]

I too really like the action you captured, the low angle is very nice. This is where I think flash would have have taken this over the top.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Lovely shot, I agree flash would have helped but you may be able to reduce the darkness on the heads a little with a little judicious use of curves or S/H.

[Gerald Kelberg]

Happy to disagree on this one - I feel that the backlight is superb and I really like the effect - giving great drama to an intimate moment. Love it as presented.

Gerald