Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

[Bill Dix]

Awhile back I posted an image of this juvenile YCNH taking off over a Mimosa tree, at the Ocean City Rookery in July. This is four frames later, where he has cleared the Mimosa, leaving just the salt marsh as a background. I like the juvie hairdo, and those beautiful triangular spots on the tips of the feathers (I think there is a name for them?) that give such a nice plumage pattern in the coverts. C&C always appreciated.

D7200, 500f4, ISO 1250, 1/2500s @ f/7.1 manual, gitzo and mongoose.

[Jim Crosswell]

I like the wing position, feather pattern, BG, composition and trailing feet. I don't know if its my eyes or not but I think it could use a little more sharpening on the head. Very well done Bill!

[Randy Stout]

Bill:

Agree with Jim's assessment. Very nice overall, slight diving pose, colors, great downstroke pose.

Head and neck area could use a bit more sharpening for me as well.

Cheers

Randy

[Bill Dix]

Thanks guys. Here's a repost with a little more sharpening (maybe too much?).

[arash_hazeghi]

I love the green BG and the wing position, The head is a bit soft from motion blur which is very difficult to fix with sharpening, not much you can do. I might consider adding some warmth to make the legs yellow as they are.

TFS

[Bill Dix]

Thanks Arash. Here's a warmer version.

[arash_hazeghi]

Hi Bill, your repost hardly shows a difference to my eye, here I took out the green cast that was on the bird, (reflected light from grass below). have you recently calibrated your screen?

157336

[Ross Taylor]

Hi Bill,

I love the subject, composition and great background. Unfortunately the soft eye compromises the image for me. This is a great photo in every other respect Bill.

TFS
Ross

[Bill Dix]

Thanks for looking, guys. No, Arash, I haven't recalibrated recently, although I think its my eyes that need calibrating. I've gone back to the original and made some changes: adjusted the color balance, did a bit of bill cleanup, and attempted to address the blurriness of the head. (Slight use of the de-blur feature of Topaz Detail.) This does raise a question about color balance that I wrestle with from time to time. Does one adjust the color cast that is a natural part of the scene such as reflected light from the saltmarsh? Would you remove the rosy light of dawn? Or a bluish cast on a foggy day? I guess the answer depends just on what appeals to the eye of the individual. [I should note that in this case I do prefer the adjusted version.] But maybe that's a discussion for another day. For now, I'd just like to know what you guys think of these various adjustments. To me the eye looks pretty sharp, but maybe it's my eyes that are soft.

[arash_hazeghi]

Hi Bill, re. color cast, you still want the heron to have yellow feet, not green like your original version

The last repost is better but I bet in the RAW the head is quite soft so unfortunately there isn't much you can do about it, I can still tell that it is sharpened rather than sharp.

I tell this to folks all the time, in order to get a high quality output you need to get it sharp in camera, there is really no cure for a soft RAW file

best

[Bill Dix]

Hi Bill, re. color cast, you still want the heron to have yellow feet, not green like your original version

The last repost is better but I bet in the RAW the head is quite soft so unfortunately there isn't much you can do about it, I can still tell that it is sharpened rather than sharp.

I tell this to folks all the time, in order to get a high quality output you need to get it sharp in camera, there is really no cure for a soft RAW file

best

I can't disagree with that. Thanks for your help, Arash.

[David Salem]

Great species, in a perfect pose, in a perfect BG! The only issue is the detail. It's just not sharp. Like Arash mentioned, and what I tell all my clients and friends, if it isn't sharp in camera, no PP in the world will make it great. It might get marginally acceptable, or be able to be ok in a looser comp, but unfortunately there isn't a remedy for just a hare OOF. I have thrown away thousands of shots that are very close. I look back now and chuckle at some older images that I spent lots of time on trying to make something out of them and they look horrible to me now.
Very close to perfection Bill! Thats what keeps us going back out into the field :)

[Bill Dix]

Thanks David. I'll keep pluggin'.

[PS. Any word from your printer?]

[Daniel Cadieux]

Good input from the boys. I too have in the past tried really hard to work an image that was just too good to be true but a bit soft due to motion blur or other softness issue. Now when that happens I just think out loud something along the lines of "Bummer!!" Especially when the next frame is tack sharp but the wings are clipped. DOH!:S3:

[Karl Egressy]

Even it is slightly soft on the head, it is still an excellent image as it doesn't happen too often to get these guys captured in flight.
I would be happy with your image as I don't have any BIF of this species.

[Bill Dix]

Thanks Daniel and Karl.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Bill, well you certainly nailed the flight pose here, what a killer wing position. Great feedback from above. Dont worry, we have all been in the same boat with regards to your situation. We just go back and get a better one. :w3

[Bill Dix]

Thanks Stu.