Shot this on the coast over the weekend. I liked the water droplets and the light was to die for. In post, I cropped a bit for comp., dodged the bird a bit, sharpened the bird, and reduced noise on the BG. All C&C welcome.
Is this a composite: No
D850
700mm, handheld
ISO 800
1/4000
f/6.3
Great laying in the mud shooting angle… very nice light and the drops are a very nice touch…
Superb.
Very nice, Lyle. I, too like the droplets as an extra touch and I agree the lighting is superb.
Lovely light, excellent vantage point and pose and droplets are really spot on ! Would it be mine (an that’s just personal preference) I would probably try and lower the contrast a bit to have a softer feel to the image. But, it absolutely wonderful as presented ! Cheers, Hans
Hi Lyle,
I like the water drops and lighting. Your comp is fine and I would have to dig really hard to find any nits. A fine presentation…Jim
Lovely light and colors. I like the nice low angle. Excellent pose complete with water drops. You really nailed this one. I like the nice contrast between bright bird and darker bg but agree that a lighter bg would be a different feel and a good option. If photo was mine and it is not, I might have a go at removing the tiny highlights on the legs. The photo has a nice evening/end of day feel to it.
Such a lovely inviting image. As you said, the lighting is spectacular on this image. The water drops are just icing on the cake to a very fine photograph. Congrats!!
Hi Lyle
I think this is a really great photograph. Thank you for the hard work.
Peter
Beautiful light, Lyle and you handled it very well. That really early morning light on white plumage can be difficult. Great pose and the reflections on the water film are wonderful.
Hi Lyle, great mood and light to this image. Love the low angle that would leave me stuck in place 
. Water drops are a big bonus. Well done.
