Xeriscaped limpkin heaven... Local, man made native snail habitat...

[David Roach]

EOS R RF 70-200 @200 f2.8 1/5300 ISO 500 HH, Manual mode, cropped from vertical

I was biking with camera on back when I spotted a GBH at the waters edge. At 200mm I had to try to creep closer and the heron was having none of it and flew to far bank. Looked down at water's edge and saw nothing but cypress knees and large snail shells everywhere. They were both apple snails and an even larger exotic variety. Was thinking where is the culprit just as the hunter jumped out of the reeds onto a higher perch and began to preen. Very busy environment but right in the late afternoon sun. Was hoping wide open at 2.8 would help mitigate surrounding vegetation some. This is typical Limpkin habitat, though. As this beauty preened, got low and approached closer. Tried very low perspective and the reeds covered face. So raised a little and waited for the head to come up from that near wing. You can see some down at end of beak and two floating specs as the head was raised. Not Birds as Art, but a piece of Limpkin Heaven.

ps
Both the Limpkin and the Snail Kite share very different yet similarly designed beaks. Both crisscross at the end. Both almost always pull the entire animal from their large twisted shells without tearing due to this design.

[Brian Sump]

David, cool setting shot here. Sun angle looks closer to 90 degrees to subject, maybe not ideal.

I think the biggest thing is just a lot going on with the scene, at least my opinion. If the whole bkg was more like area above the head it would probably be more tolerable.

To each their own opinions. TFS.

[David Roach]

David, cool setting shot here. Sun angle looks closer to 90 degrees to subject, maybe not ideal.

I think the biggest thing is just a lot going on with the scene, at least my opinion. If the whole bkg was more like area above the head it would probably be more tolerable.

To each their own opinions. TFS.

Hi Brian, Yeah, on the right those spadderdock leaves were blowing in the late breeze and the closer approach (@200mm) was with the late sun (~45 mins. to sunset) to the right. Another consideration when deciding when to hit the shutter. It is what it is in terms of bird in environment. Thanks as always for your very valued inputs. Always appreciated.

[John Mack]

The framing is nice. The environment is shown well here. The bird is nice and sharp.

[James Babbitt]

I quite agree with you. One of the things that sometimes makes it hard to judge my own shots; showing the bird in a natural (hopefully pleasing) environment or having a technically great shot that more or less isolates and shows off the entire bird. I like the sharp body spots and the great sharp beak showing what you described as to function.



EOS R RF 70-200 @200 f2.8 1/5300 ISO 500 HH, Manual mode, cropped from vertical

I was biking with camera on back when I spotted a GBH at the waters edge. At 200mm I had to try to creep closer and the heron was having none of it and flew to far bank. Looked down at water's edge and saw nothing but cypress knees and large snail shells everywhere. They were both apple snails and an even larger exotic variety. Was thinking where is the culprit just as the hunter jumped out of the reeds onto a higher perch and began to preen. Very busy environment but right in the late afternoon sun. Was hoping wide open at 2.8 would help mitigate surrounding vegetation some. This is typical Limpkin habitat, though. As this beauty preened, got low and approached closer. Tried very low perspective and the reeds covered face. So raised a little and waited for the head to come up from that near wing. You can see some down at end of beak and two floating specs as the head was raised. Not Birds as Art, but a piece of Limpkin Heaven.

ps
Both the Limpkin and the Snail Kite share very different yet similarly designed beaks. Both crisscross at the end. Both almost always pull the entire animal from their large twisted shells without tearing due to this design.

[Daniel Cadieux]

You did the best could have in this situation. Good on you for trying different viewpoints (getting lower, higher, determining best approach). I'm OK with the image overall despite the busy habitat. There is just the one strand that bothers me a bit, the one intersecting the neck, but nothing you could have done about it. Have you tried warming up the image?

[Robert Kimbrell]

I like the image. The greens look good to my eye. yet the blue looks a little over saturated. Good light on the face and bill.

[David Roach]

You did the best could have in this situation. Good on you for trying different viewpoints (getting lower, higher, determining best approach). I'm OK with the image overall despite the busy habitat. There is just the one strand that bothers me a bit, the one intersecting the neck, but nothing you could have done about it. Have you tried warming up the image?

Hi Daniel, Funny it was much warmer, golden light everywhere, out of camera so I cooled it a little. Went too far apparently. And Robert, the cooling some along with desat on greens is exactly my doing. Didn't notice how cooling made the water even bluer. Thanks as always for your very valued inputs and Robert, loved your latest from Bunche (I like it sharpened as is). Waiting on first RF super telephoto glass, then I will be hitting Bunche one morning. Thanks to all, once again for the valued help.