Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)

I wanted this Lapwing shot to have a painterly dimension, the background colours and the reflections in the water working with the bird's amazing plumage to give the image a unified feel. The effect was achieved by deliberately underexposing the original shot by just one stop to protect the whites from blowing and then rescuing some of the darker areas in post-production. A wide aperture focused tight in on the Lapwing's head and avoided the reflection in the moving water competing too much. The brilliant blue was a real bonus.

Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100-400mm IS USM lens, 1/1,000th sec, f/5.6, 400mm at ISO 500