Black Necked Stilt
This wader bird took advantage of a low lying pond near Las Vegas to hunt for breakfast. The morning sun provided a good reflection in the smooth water....
Read more
This wader bird took advantage of a low lying pond near Las Vegas to hunt for breakfast. The morning sun provided a good reflection in the smooth water.
Read less
Read less
SONY ILCE-7M3
Aperture f/13 ISO 1000 Shutter 1/640 Focal Length 1130/1 
Las Vegas, Nevada, US
Sep, 2021Views
333
Likes
Awards
Curator's Selection
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Virtuoso
Outstanding Creativity
Emotions
Impressed
Top Ranks
Top 20 rank
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve, Las Vegas, NV, USATime
Early morning, about an hour after sunriseLighting
This Black Necked Stilt was poking around in a shallow pond inside a Bird Preserve on the outskirts of Las Vegas. I was on the walking path a little higher than the pond, which resulted in a great reflection on the pond. The sun was getting higher, and with me being a little higher, doing a high key photograph was the best option to work with the light and reflection off the pond.Equipment
Sony A7III, f/13, 1/64, ISO 1600, Sony 300-600 zoom lens with 2x converter. Hand Held. Natural light.Inspiration
I love watching the waders poke around in the shallow waters. This was my first sighting of a Black Necked Stilt. Doubting that I could get a good shot with the sun reflecting off the water, I intended only to get a shot to id it later. Then, as my brainstorming turned into trying a high key shot, I became more excited to experiment.Editing
Cropped for composition. Increase highlights / whites to ensure the background was white. Added a bit of contrast to bring out the black. Played with the color sliders in Lightroom until the black and white coloration was to my liking.In my camera bag
Sony camera body, tripod, remote trigger, Tamron 17-28 lens, Sony 200-600 lens, 2x converter, filters (polarizing, ND, graduated), extra batteries and memory cards.Feedback
Never be afraid to try something new! This was my first attempt at a high key image. I was very excited about the result!
