Your Best Bird Shot

In decreasing Noise also sharpness decreased, so I split the image in 2 layers in CR3 using the Magnetic Lasso tool very carefully around the bird’s body, to separate it from the rest of the image containing the water surface and reflection.
I applied sharpening to the bird’s Layer and heavy noise reduction to the background, then the two were stacked and flattened. Selective sharpening and exposure increase with Brush in Lightr. did the rest.

Just to check what a stacked flattened layer looks like in Photoshop here are two screen shots of the same details shown above at 300% after the layer splitting and reassembly.

http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/6333157380/photos/1653118/gull-final-flat-cr3-300pc-detail-1-with-notes
http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/6333157380/photos/1653119/gull-final-flat-cr3-300pc-detail-2

note in particular the part where the CS3 Lasso jumped across the background (yellow).

Here is the “geometry” of the scene:
-Location: peer on lake Viverone, 45°25’50N; 8°02’00E, 230m ASL
-Date and hour: 13.02.2010 5:28pm, sun sets 5:42pm (winter time)
-Bird: distance from sensor 14m, estimated height above water 0.80m, flight direction towards W-NW, flight speed slow.
-Camera: estimated height of sensor above water 2.90m, tracked in single AF point in AI-Servo from floating to take-off and beginning of level flight, multiple exposure panning from direction S-SE to S-SW, full IS on, handheld, chosen image from sequence is one clear of water ripples (the next one unusable due to flare).

This is the description of Capture and Postprocessing which determined the challenge image. So now you can evaluate the relevance (or irrelevance) of your comments.
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to share my photographic experience and to clarify the apparent misunderstanding,
Regards, Vittorio

Not necessarily a photoshop job (apart from the normal sharpenning, etc). Depending on the angle, the reflection is not always symmetric, especially when the subject is hovering over the reflective surface. Same with the right wing touching the left, or the lack of gap between subject and reflection. On a near perfectly clear water surface, I don't really see why it wouldn't produce a clear reflection (plus the photog prob did a bit of sharpening). I don't think the shot was at eye level either; if it was, you won't see the top of the bird (which by the way is not seen in the reflection).

I did a quick and dirty test shot using paper and mirror
www.dpreview.com/galleries/9014640129/photos/1652771/wing-test-1

You can see that the top edge of the paper is reflected in the mirror. The other objections mentioned were also replicated in the shot (lack of symmetry, wings touching, no gap).

Maybe it was shopped after all, but in the words of mythbusters: It's plausible. Just sayin'

Undoubtedly its photoshop work:
Reason 1: the subject and its reflection are always symmetric. In this case, you can see that its unusual and not 100% symmetric.
Reason 2: the right wing of the subject is touching the left wing of the reflection. In the angle that this image is shot ie eye level, it is impossible for such a scenario.
Reason 3: the reflection is way too clear. Reflections from water are always blurred and impossible to figure out the feathers.
Reason 4: No gap between the subject and reflection. No matter how close the gull is to the water, there is always a gap between its subject and reflection unless the gull is in contact with water. If it were in contact then where are the water ripples ?
Sad but true, this image has won this competition. Hopefully, those who are voting will vote for real photos and not photoshopped ones.

The small amount of light that filters through the bird's feathers is AMAZING. A well deserved win.