Backlit Least Sandpiper

Lake Huron. 3-Sept-2016. 11:23AM. Not a cloud in the shy.

I played with lightening the shadows in LR but that was not the reality of how I saw this bird that day.

The bottom image is really how it appeared to me with the naked eye as I had to squint against the sun. Other versions that I lightened even more , both overall exposure and/or just shadows, looked fake to me.

Which image do you like best or are they both too dark? Thanks for your comments.

(Maybe it is just an image of the Lake Huron shoreline augmented by a bird.)

Adding some light from a Speedlite is the only way you'll get light on a target like this. I had a 600EX-RT with Better Beamer mounted on my 7DII today, but couldn't find many subjects.

Agree that it is too dark, this woudl work if there was 'rim light' around the bird. There are too many (IMHO) reflections on the water which are too distracting. With these I amnot sure what the focus of my attention should be. It does not work for me, having said that well doen for trying something different and having the guts to post!

TFS

Thanks Zack and TFS. I appreciate the CC. It's helpful.