I captured this image at Ft. DeSoto County Park in Pinellas County, Florida. I was sitting on the soft sand, this bird walked up in front of me and began probing the sand with it's bill for food. Comments and critique welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for viewing.
Nikon D500
Nikon 500mm PF, camera and lens supported by a Oben carbon fiber monopod with a Wimberly MonoGimbal head
1/3200 F/8 Matrix Metering EV 0 ISO 800 Auto 1 WB, image captured at 500mm (750mm 35mm Equivalent)
Post processed in Lightroom Classic, Photoshop CC 2022 and Topaz Denoise AI
Cropped for composition and presentation
Joe Przybyla
"Sometimes I do get to places just as God is ready to have somebody click the shutter"... Ansel Adams
It looks as if it were probing the sand not the mud :). Here is another potentially awkward situation where you have come up with a crop that works nicely.
with love, artie
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Hi Joe, nice detail, watch you don't go too overshare on the sandy bill and the blue creeping into the plumage. Lovely soft, pastel colours, perhaps go for an overall blue BKG bottom RHC?
TFS
Steve
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.
Very nice indeed, it is not very often we are fortunate enough to get so close. I like the tight crop it does concentrate the facial and beak details. I noticed the blue on the chest but I think I see it in the sand on the beak also.
I think I can just about make out your silhouette in the eye!
If you're going to photograph a bird with a dirty bill then this is the way to do it! If mine I'd probably add a touch of warmth to the WB. Pleasing tight portrait!