A Silent Void
by GolferDDS

Comment:
What a fun capture - sometimes timing is everything in photography - right place, right time all around. Congratulations.

Crane Fly
by roz

Comment:
Congratulations Roz - I had a feeling this would be 1st of 2nd between the eagle hunter shot

Eagle Hunters
by westford

Comment:
Congratulations! So well deserved! Loved the complexity of the background yet simple in toning/coloring which really allowed the intricacy of the subjects to pop!

Canon: Stay Focused
by GolferDDS

Comment:
This is such a fun photo! Congratulations on the yellow, well deserved amongst stiff competition.

Redwing Blackbird
by MaryO

Comment:
Great simplicity - I love the redwing blackbirds - such a pretty song.

A life worth living
by Neat

Comment:
So surreal and calming! Leads you right down the waters edge

Tiny Butterfly with Dew Drops
by roz

Comment:
Roz, the antennae on that little creature is just sublime! So incredible! Nicely done - ribbon contender for sure.

Caribbean Flamingo Preening
by bobnospum

Comment:
I absolutely agree w/what you have said and had a feeling you were approaching from a purist standpoint. My comments on this comes from someone who is a portrait photographer and plans clothing to compliment where I will be photographing them (not that it always goes as planned there either LOL). I have struggled w/my foray in to birds as to how much to affect the scene, which was my thinking of Wendy’s edit - also isn’t that the finesse of wildlife, when all the elements come together? At least that has been my (very) limited experience.

Originally posted by bobnospum: Originally posted by ErinKirsten: Beautiful photo-great brightness with balanced exposure. What would have (for me) taken this photo to another level is a complimentary colored background... Thanks. Something I shall keep in mind for future shots. I tend to be pretty conservative on my nature shot as my home photo club has really strict rules on their "nature" category and I am in the mindset by default.

Plumage
by roz

Comment:
Oh to live somewhere that such colorful birds exist - love it!

Caribbean Flamingo Preening
by bobnospum

Comment:
Beautiful photo-great brightness with balanced exposure. What would have (for me) taken this photo to another level is a complimentary colored background. While I appreciate the nod to authenticity of the moment - a green background or something less contrasting than the brown/rust would have really heightened the coral of those feathers and drawn attention to their magnificence. I even thought - the Vawendy treatment she had on her heron in painterly challenge would have been interesting