Great Blue Heron

[Joseph Przybyla]

There was an advertisement in a photography magazine with a wonderful image of a bay. The photographer was quoted as saying something like this... I have been to this bay a hundred time and only found it like this once. That experience is similar to this image. As I cross over the bridge from Titusville, Florida onto Merritt Island and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge there is a little park and bay on the left side, Parrish Park. I always give it a look to see what might be there. This morning the bay was flat calm and the light gorgeous. I captured this image of a Great Blue Heron. I have never seen it as wonderful since. Comments and critique welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for viewing.

Nikon D7000
Nikon 55-30mm F/4.5-5.6 VR AF-S ED shot at 150mm
1/640 F/8 Matrix Metering EV -1 ISO 100 AWB
Post processed in Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC 2017
Cropped for composition and presentation

[John Mack]

Nice bird, nice reflection maybe just a tad lower in the frame.

[Geoffrey Montagu]

Hi Joe,

This is simply a beautiful and well executed capture. Spot on exposure, and I love the water color with the clouds reflected. Wonderful ripples created but the slow advance of the GBHE.

Geoffrey




http://500px.com/geoffreymontagu (http://500px.com/geoffreymontagu)

[Glenn Pure]

That water is really dreamy and you were in the right place at the right time to catch it. The wavy reflection is excellent as are the lines of reflected light on the bird. I'm trying to figure out what that black patch is on the upper wing - maybe the plumage looks like that but I'm not familiar with this species. I think the composition would benefit from some minor tweaking to shift the bird and reflection down the frame a little but you may not have enough in the original RAW? I'd also like to see those highlights on the head pulled back just a tiny bit. But these are all minor points on an otherwise excellent frame. Nice work.

[Joseph Przybyla]

I'm trying to figure out what that black patch is on the upper wing - maybe the plumage looks like that but I'm not familiar with this species. I think the composition would benefit from some minor tweaking to shift the bird and reflection down the frame a little but you may not have enough in the original RAW? I'd also like to see those highlights on the head pulled back just a tiny bit. But these are all minor points on an otherwise excellent frame. Nice work.

Hi Glenn, the black patch you mention is a dark blue/black area of feathers natural to the species. I smiled when reading yours and John's suggestion to move the bird and reflection down in the frame. Originally I had the composition that way but I like the smoothness and color of the water so much I decided to move the bird and reflection slightly back in the frame. I checked the white on the cheek, in Lightroom it is at 91% (232 on the 0 to 255 scale) in the range of 230 to 240 where I normally like the whites to be. I'll see what lowering the highlights with the Adjustment Brush on that area will do. Thank you for viewing and commenting, very much appreciated.

[Isaac Grant]

Very pretty Joe. I like the framing as is and the water color is fantastic. This would make for a nice image for this months theme!

[John Whaley]

Agree with the comments already posted. Beautiful light and water color. I like the compostion here. I might have been tempted to crop it closer but I think you got it right in this one.

[Joseph Przybyla]

Thanks everyone for viewing, commenting, and suggesting improvements, very much appreciated.