First Time Download

[Joanna Trescott]

Hi: I just returned from the Everglades, Big Cypress Swamp and Ding Darling shoot. What a wonderful state with so much wildlife! This photo was taken at Anhinga trail on a cloudy day. Most of the trip was rainy and blustery. I used a Canon 20D with 100-400 lens at 400mm. I shot it at 5.6 + 1/2 stop. The background still looks pretty distracting. Thanks for any comments on improving! Joanna

[Jim Poor]

Hi Joanna, and welcome aboard. I'll be headed to that area next month and can't wait. To think I grew up in FL and never got into this :(

Nice catch. The white area on the crown is borderline (measures 250-252 in two of three channels) but not blown, so you can tone it down from the original, especially if it was made RAW.

Funny, but I like the detail in the scales on the fish. The image looks pretty sharp. There is a white speck, (probably a water drop that doesn't look like one at this size) at about the 4 O'Clock position from the fish's tail that I'd get rid of. Real easy with the spot healing brush.

In a perfect world we could make the birds look our way for a better head angle and maybe even catch the side with the fish's face too, but the world isn't perfect ;)

EDIT: I just noticed your comment on the BG. It doesn't bother me, but you could darken it a little in PS if you really want to.

[Manos Papadomanolakis]

Welcome to BPN!!!
Agree with you for BG,otherwise a nice action!

[Robert Amoruso]

Welcome Joanna,

Nice first post and getting them with a fish is always a plus. Two things you can try in the future - move to a lower position and get on the same level as the bird and wait to get the face parallel to your position or move to get yourself parallel to his face.

Lower position puts the BG further away and helps to eliminate distractions. The head turn gives you eye contact. Both will make the portrait more intimate.

Great Blur Herons and the whites on the head and cheeks are very problematic. Getting detail in them as well as the darker portions of the bird requires really soft light. Even in overcast, the exposure you need to get details in the grays normally pushes the whites to the edge, in sunlight it is even harder. I think here you did well with the exposure and maintained detail where it is needed most in the mid-tones.

[Joanna Trescott]

Thanks for the comment. Wow, I believe this will be a great resource for me. So many talented photographers to tweek the photos! I usually try to get level with the birds, but this was shot from Anhinga trail and the heron was near the water. Probably shouldn't cross the fence?? I will work on this in PS since it was shot in RAW and submit again (as well as look at other photos taken to get a better head angle. Thanks!

[Stephen Stephen]

Welcome Joanna. Good first post. The others have given you good advice on this image. I look forward to seeing more from you.

[Arthur Morris]

Hi Joanna. Actually, you are allowed to cross the fences in ENP anywhere... And what would have been best of all would be for you to have moved to your right to better parallel the bird's head. Welcome to BPN!

and later and love, artie

[Jody Melanson]

Welcome aboard! Nice start and great advice offered here.