Tri-colored Heron

[Joseph Przybyla]

Here is another of my recent endeavors to re-work some of my images. Originally I had cropped this to vertical showing the bird and reflection. The image did not have the feel or impact I wanted. So I started from scratch in Lightroom beginning in the history when I imported the image. The image was shot in a small water way with a mud embankment beyond and above the bird. To achieve the look I wanted I cloned out the mud embankment and added canvas above the bird. I intentionally left the one twig of vegetation in the image adding another focal point and making a triangle with the bird, reflection and the twig. This image was captured along Black Point Wildlife Drive in Merritt Island NWR, Merritt Island, Florida in 2012. Comments and critique welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for viewing.

Nikon D7000
Nikon 55-200mm F/4.5-5.6 VR AF shot at 200mm (300mm FFE)
1/250 F/8 ISO 100

[Randy Stout]

Joe:

I like different approaches to framing and comp, and small in frame certainly can work. The bird is sharp enough and shows enough detail at this size to be effective.

I find the water above the bird a bit 'funky', perhaps from the cloning, and might consider doing a bit of gaussian blur on it to smooth it slightly.

There are many cropping options for this type of image. I could see a bit off the top and the right, still keeping him small overall.

Cheers

Randy

[Joseph Przybyla]

Joe:

I like different approaches to framing and comp, and small in frame certainly can work. The bird is sharp enough and shows enough detail at this size to be effective.

I find the water above the bird a bit 'funky', perhaps from the cloning, and might consider doing a bit of gaussian blur on it to smooth it slightly.

There are many cropping options for this type of image. I could see a bit off the top and the right, still keeping him small overall.

Cheers

Randy

Hello Randy, thank you for viewing and commenting. Looking at the posted image again I see brown looking smudges along the top and right side that I do not see in the original, wondering why it would show here but not on the original. I will work some more on it and repost. Thank you for your interest.

[Joseph Przybyla]

Here is a repost slightly blurring the top background and addressing the brownish smudges.

[Marina Scarr]

The RP works better for me. Love the painterly feeling to this one, esp the feathers on the bird's flowing feathers.

[Karl Egressy]

Beautiful out of the paradigm shot, Joe.

[Binu John]

Beautiful shot! I like the RP! It looks like a painting! Well done!

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Joseph, I quite like what you have done here, and your repost has turned out well. I also like how you have left the single blade of foliage in the water.

[Daniel Cadieux]

That little piece of vegetation is so small, yet adds so much to the image...glad you kept it in. I too prefer the repost. On both versions I'd clean up the water touching the top of the bill, there is a colour shift there that grabs my eye. Well done with a good plan and execution.

[keith mitchell]

Joseph agree with the painting comment, looks like a real piece of art to me, very nice indeed.

Keith.