Black Crown Night Heron Portrait

[Krishna Prasad kotti]

I made this image in Bear River Migratory Refuge, UT Last year.

Black-crowned Night Heron is pretty much common in Bear River Migratory Refuge. I saw them every year, they were really close this year on rocks waiting to catch fish.

This was capture using a BLUBB (http://birdsasart-shop.com/blubb-big-lens-ultimate-bean-bag/) from Car.

Nikon D500, 500 f/4 + 1.4x TCIII
1/2500 sec; f/5.6; ISO 1250
Manual; Matrix metering

Post Processing:-
Raw processing using C1P
Medium Crop
Removed second catch light
Cleaned small black spot on the lower left
Nik 30-30 Filter
Neat Image Noise Reduction


Let me know you thoughts and comments.

Thanks
Krishna

[Arthur Morris]

Nice. I'd lose the six or seven specks on the plumage.

artie

[John Mack]

Looking good. Nice detail and a nice background. Love that red eye.

[Isaac Grant]

Details are very nice. I like the crop as well. I do wish you had a bit more of a head turn to make the image a bit more engaging. Not sure how I feel about the little bugs on the bird but I guess it is better to clone them out. I feel the processing is off on this one. I think the image is a bit bright and would lower the highlights on the bird and I would add some blacks to the neutrals of the bird as well. In addition there bird has a fairly strong blue cast most visible in the blacks of the head and back. I would lower the blue channel on the bird in HUE/SATURATION by at least 50 points or so. Would also lower the blue water by 10-15 points. Those minor adjustments would really make a big difference to an otherwise nice image.

[Krishna Prasad kotti]

Here is a repost with points by Isaac.

I am happy with both versions.

I agree with cloning spots (which are flies)

Thanks
Krishna

[Isaac Grant]

It still has a blue cast on my screen. Black crowns do not have blue in their feathers.

[Krishna Prasad kotti]

I do not see any blue cast on my screen

[David Cowling]

Very nice image. Good feather detail and the eye is lovely. I am in agreement that there is some blue in the black feathers. Like the blue background.

[Isaac Grant]

Here is a quick redo from your original post. I adjusted blacks in levels and curves, a did a highlight adjustment, I lowered the blues on the bird 100% in hue/saturation and lowered the saturation of the water and the blue channel of the water 10 points each. I also painted a highlight adjustment on the face area using camera raw filter. Repost is on top. Does this help to see the difference?

[Krishna Prasad kotti]

That does help.

My question is when you have large Blue water which is reflecting blue light should you choose to keep it as it is or try to reduce the blue cast ? I think that is the reason for Blue cast which is minimal in my opinion.

Interesting to know your thoughts.

[Isaac Grant]

what did you notice in the field? Was there a cast on the bird or no? I would aim to keep it how it looked in the field. If you did not notice the cast then remove it. If you saw a slight cast then leave a slight cast. As a life long birder when I see a BC Night Heron with a blue head and back it just looks way off. I have seen thousands of them and none ever looked blue so my inclination is to remove it. But as you mentioned if a particular situation made a cast on the bird then try and keep as natural as possible, without assuming that how it came out of the camera was how it was in reality.

[Jim Crosswell]

I like the details, composition, IQ and red eye looks great. Very well done Krishna.