Grey heron - close up

[Steve Kaluski]

Just meandering through some old files and following in the footsteps of Mr Roach (Heronman :bg3:) here is a close-up of a local Heron shot in Regents Park just down the road from me. There was some lovely winter sun available and so I just wanted a few frames close-ups of the scraggy details of these birds and that lovely eye.


Thanks to those who posted or viewed on the last posting.

Steve

Subject: Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
Location: UK
Camera: Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
Lens: EF500mm f/4L IS II USM +2x III HH
Exposure: 1/1600s at f/8 ISO4000
Original format: Landscape, FF
Processed via: LRC 9.4 & PS2020

[Krishna Prasad kotti]

Nice Colors.

I like the eye and Tight Crop.

TFS

[Jonathan Ashton]

....and 2xTC degrades image IQ..... hmm not altogether convinced! Looks pretty darned good to me! I am becoming more and more interested in showing fine detail, I think this shows it admirably.

[Mike Poole]

Nice light and detail - I'd have preferred the eye to have been further left in the frame though

Mike

[gail bisson]

Lots of great detail here. IQ looks great.
The comp is very unusual with the eye dead center but I like it. Something different -in a good way,
Gail

[John Mack]

The face of the bird is illuminated beautifully. I don't mind the cut off bill. My eye goes right to that eye.

[kevin Hice]

Steve different and good. For me really looking at the detail fantastic. Love the dark background makes the image pop even more. The more I look at this you really brought the detail out. Nice light too. TFS

[Steve Kaluski]

Thanks folks for commenting much appreciated Gail & Mike, I will try and respond to those who may have raised points, just my take so I hope it helps.


....and 2xTC degrades image IQ..... hmm not altogether convinced!

ALL TC's only magnify, it hasn't got any moving parts, but a 2x may, it's not as good as the 1.4, it just (IMHO) depends on the time of capture, if you had the 2xMk2 that's pants and needs binning. However Jon, I too cannot see any loss in quality here, even at ISO4000 so I would say it comes down to the operator and will continue to use the 1.4 or 2x to get the captures and avoid cropping the **** out of a file, or encroaching on the subjects comfort zone. :w3



I'd have preferred the eye to have been further left in the frame though

Mike I like the change in textures from the soft plumage on the LHS transitioning to more harder, crisp lines of the eye & bill, perhaps having more of the bill may help, but then it gets to a point where you what the whole bill in play and then it gets away from a tight capture - trying to convey the tones, textures, details of the subject.



Something different -in a good way,

Thank you Gail.



The more I look at this you really brought the detail out.

Hi Kevin, if you go for a tight shot it has to be pin sharp, with detail otherwise it's pointless, and yes, the more you look at something the more hopefully you will see. You now start to see, having spent some time in Wildlife what Jon, Andreas & myself have been saying and you have too turned the corner in PP and so your images are now taking shape with some simple changes and getting the reward, keep it up. Not bad for ISO4000.

[Arthur Morris]

The eye and the detail are great. The crud on the bill and the beaten up lores? Not so much. Next chance lock the focus and exposure and create a frame of the distal bill for a really cool pano.

with love, artie

[Steve Kaluski]

Next chance lock the focus and exposure and create a frame of the distal bill for a really cool pano.


Will do Artie, thanks, will use the R5 for great resolution if its a good day, otherwise its the 1DX MK3.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Steve .... technically a great shot in terms of detail , subtle tones and colors , with the eye as a colorful HL .
Beautifully processed .
As an image , it does not grab that much .
But always enjoy looking at perfectly processed frames .

TFS Andreas

[Steve Kaluski]

As an image , it does not grab that much .

Could be one of those frames that seemed right in the VF? :bg3:

[Andreas Liedmann]

Well .... could be , but might even fit folks taste . You never know .... cost only disc space