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.
1 comment 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