The avocet remains one of my favourite subjects to capture. With its graceful, upturned bill and long stilts, it moves elegantly through the shallow water. Every encounter with this bird produces new images, from subtle reflections in the water to small details in posture and behaviour.
In this series, I show several moments when the avocet captivated me again. I like to play with light, composition and sometimes a creative twist, to bring just that little bit of extra atmosphere to the images.
This photo was deliberately shot in high key. Playing with overexposure creates a light, almost dreamy atmosphere in which details are subtly highlighted and the bird stands out beautifully from the background. The minimalist nature of high key ensures that attention is fully focused on the shape and pose of the avocet. This gives each image its own character, and everything revolves around this beautiful bird.
Photographed at Yerseke Moer, where nature offers surprises time and again