Polly Krauter
October 2025 - Americn Dipper
Original
About the Image(s)
Dippers are aquatic birds found in western states, that wade and even swim underwater in mountain streams. I was in the high Sierra Nevada mountain range when I found this juvenile. The photo was taken in the morning in a heavily wooded area. There is a bit of an aquatic weed(?) in its mouth that bothers me.
Handheld Canon EOS R5, 100-500mm zoom
500 mm, f/7.1, 1/3200 sec, ISO 12800 (it was dark)
In LR, I balanced white, increased contrast and exposure on the Dipper and masked the background and decrease exposure an highlights. I removed a large strike of guano on the rock. The image was cropped and I used Topaz Denoise.
6 comments posted
The bird's pose on that rock in the midst of the swirling water and his sideways glance suggest that he is leary of something - or someone. The highlights and extent of the rock compete with the bird for attention. I suggest cropping from the bottom to remove 2/3 of the rock. I did not know that birds swam underwater. Fascinating. Posted: 10/05/2025 21:27:46
Nice pose of the Dipper as he ponders its next move. The lighting in the water conveys to me you are in a wooded area. The colours blending in with the feathers of the Dipper and nice you have captured the ripples in the water adding contrast. The weed does not bother me but i would probably crop in from the bottom to have less rock as Judith suggests. Posted: 10/10/2025 16:32:59
Nice capture under very low light conditions. There must be have been at least a small ray of light coming from the right as you've got the catch light in the eye andn the detail on the feet. The subject is sharp. I feel that using the dodge tool in PS or selecting the subject in LR and increasing the exposure slightly would help separate the dark subject from the dark background. Try it and see what you think. Posted: 10/11/2025 16:07:30
Great catch as these little birds don't stop for long. Nice pose on the rock and with the bird looking slightly toward you. Nice catch light in the eye. I know you were shooting in a shaded location but for me the overall image looks a little too dark. However, I would not lighten it too much. I like the whole rock included as it is part of the story. Posted: 10/18/2025 22:26:29
Nice catch under poor lighting conditions and especially being able to get a catch light in the eye. Crop is good especially showing the whole rock and the ripples in the water also indicates movement of the stream. I am wondering if the dipper itself could be lightened by just a touch to help it better stand out. Posted: 10/23/2025 17:07:06
I agree with both lightening the subject and taking down the highlights on the wood. Very nice shot. These guys are a tough subject. Great job. Posted: 10/23/2025 21:45:39