Jacana

[gail bisson]

Canon 7D
f4.0 500mm
ISO 400
SS 1/1600
f5.6
Aperture priority at +1/3
These guys never stop moving but the hardest part about getting a shot, is getting them with a relatively uncluttered BG. The females of these species will mate with multiple partners and lay eggs in multiple nests leaving the males to do all the nest care and raising of the chicks....hmmm, I think I like that arrangement!
Taken in Botswana on my workshop with Albert Froneman
PP in LR 3 and did a lot of clean up of grasses in brown layer of BG and cloned out a OOF flower in rhc,
Comments and critiques always learned from and appreciated,
Gail

[gail bisson]

I hope it is OK to do this but I thought you would like to see the nest of this bird. The eggs are beautiful and just lie on a few sticks that float on the water. It would be so easy for anything or anyone to knock the nest over. No wonder the girls have multiple partners!

[Dan Busby]

A very sweet image Gail. I like the balance between the bird and the flower and the gorgeous painterly BG. The bird is nicely exposed (you held the whites - not easy) and I like the little depression created below the birds feet. Couple of small comments - since you did quite a bit of cleanup anyway, I think I would have continued and cleaned up the oof lines to the right of the flower. And with Jacanas, I really like to see at least one of their amazing feet - perhaps you have a frame that shows one or both feet.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Gail, its great to see you posting images of birds from my part of the world. A well balance comp with the water lily on the right, and great that you did manage a clear opportunity of this guy. Colours are spot on. Super perspective, leaning pose, and I do like the BG as is. Interesting looking eggs.

[Randy Stout]

Gail:

Nice shooting angle, birds angle in frame.

I would consider toning down the horizontal , lighter line in BG above the bird.

Normally we prefer not to have a second distinct image in a thread, but I don't think anyone will have a problem with the egg picture.

Cheers

Randy

[dankearl]

Very nice image with the flower and the purple reflections add a lot.
I agree about the lines around the flower, but overall, nice work.

[Arno Ellmer]

Well executed,Gail !
Yes, the bg is normally very difficult ,but you did well with a super low angle and good pose of the bird.
Hope you enjoyed your trip with Albert .

[Marina Scarr]

How lucky you are to have photographed in Africa! Did you have a chance to photograph wildlife as well?

I took the liberty of making a few tweaks to your already lovely image. Love the way the flower really makes this image but felt the whites were a little bright so did a burn at 10%. Felt the photo was overall a tad too bright so did a highlight adjustment of 2 to the overal image. Cropped the partial reflection of the legs off the bottom which I felt were distracting and did not add anything to the image. Had to crop a tad more of the rest to even it out.

Looking forward to seeing more of your Africa images.

[gail bisson]

Thanks Marina.
I like how you toned the whites of the flower and I agree about taking a bit off the bottom. Thanks a lot and I will post a reworked version.
I did get a chance to shoot wildlife and will be posting some soon.
Gail

[gail bisson]

I took everyone's advice and here is the repost

[arash_hazeghi]

very nice Gail, love the composition and the design, great job! thanks for showing us the nest too!

[Robert Holguin]

Beautiful image. Love the habitat and especially the flower, Real nice balance, great pose, and nice detail. Both repost are great.
Well done.

[Brendan Dozier]

Never have seen one of these, Gail, cool looking bird, like the pose and composition you created. Repost looks good!

[Ishmeet Sahni]

The lone lotus flower adds a very interesting balance to the image, I like the repost.... looks really good.

[Bill Dix]

Great clear shot of a bird that seems to love its normally cluttered habitat. You've captured just enough of it to put him in context. Repost helps. Feet would also have helped. Thanks for showing us the eggs.