I came across this handsome little bird while exploring the Rachel Carson Estuarine Reserve on a falling tide. It's always a treat when one of these little guys will let you get close enough for a nice, detailed shot. Canon 40D, Sigma 50-500mm, hand-held from a kayak.

Hey Bob,

Very nice photograph! May I ask how you processed that, or is that natural?

James

Adobe Camera Raw: Slight saturation, vibrance and clarity boost.

Photoshop: Unsharpmask Small curves adjustment.

That's pretty much all that was done to it.

Thanks, Bob. I had thought you had done something more to the photograph. It has an almost monochromatic look to the shot that I really (really) like.

James

Overcast morning, grey skies, brown/grey bird, brown/tan oyster shells. It does give it a monochromic look. I did try a version as B&W but it didn't quite "pop" right for me. I'll post a B&W of a similarly colored bird in a little bit.