Yellowlegs on Green.

[Bob Blanchard]

Captured this image last Saturday Morning. Was in Harns Marsh, using my old 1DsM2 with the 600mm f/4 for some up close work.

Canon 1DsM2, 600mm f/4, f/4, 1/2500, ISO 200, manual mode, gitzo 3 series flat on ground with Wimberley head.

[Grace Scalzo]

Bob, I looked at this image for a while. I like the bird, open bill is interesting and of course your color palette makes those yellow legs pop out. I'm not sold on the composition tho. The line is dead center and the bottom half of the image doesn't seem to add a whole lot. Will be interested in other opinions.

[Bob Blanchard]

Thanks Grace. I can see recropping by cutting the reflection in half and adjusting accordingly. My self-crit is dark area along the top. I think I need to remove it. Should be interesting hearing other opinions.

[James Shadle]

Bob,
You nail the technicals.
IMO a little more room at the top and bottom would make this even stronger.

What do you think?

[Ofer Levy]

Nice shot. I especially like the low angle and smooth FG and BG.
Here is another option for a composition if you got the room...

[Bob Blanchard]

I like the concept of even more room (especially on top) as James presented here. I also like the nice fading of the darker patch that James did. I would want to add a bit to left side though to balance. The vertical crop options feel stronger than the horizontal options to me on this one.

[Ofer Levy]

I like the concept of even more room (especially on top) as James presented here. I also like the nice fading of the darker patch that James did. I would want to add a bit to left side though to balance. The vertical crop options feel stronger than the horizontal options to me on this one.

Maybe try a horizontal with the bird even smaller in the frame than in my repost. The vertical doesn't work for me as the reflection is not strong enough to justify all this room at the bottom.

[Bob Blanchard]

I'll definitely give it a look Ofer. Plenty of room to work with on this (an more can easily be added on this one). Always nice to have the options.

[Dumay de Boulle]

I like James's crop and it looks like a really clean image...Not sure why you can see the reflection of the dark feathers but not of the beak...Did you remove the reflection of the beak?

[Bob Blanchard]

POV was really low on this. You can actually see a bit of the beak reflection, although it is VERY blurred do to the very narrow DOF at f/4. My original post has hardly any PP beyond cropping, light selective NR, and light selective sharpening. Nothing removed from image.

[Bob Pelkey]

I much prefer the landscape image for personal taste with the
bird looking into the image there especially. The sharpening although
likely extremely minimal appears almost overdone. The blue color
on the bird is a neat reflective effect.