Project: Great Blue Heron at Dawn

[Mike Landwehr]

This one is from Estero last winter. Levels, crop, downsize, and just a touch of unsharp mask. Would you try to remove any of the horizontal ripple lines? or crop any wider? All C & C welcome!

1D Mark II N
500 mm + 1.4
ISO 400
1/1250 at f/5.6
On tripod

[Arthur Morris]

Like the SH and the colors and the BLACK SILH. Lately I have been liking 3X2....

[Mike Landwehr]

Thanks Peter and Artie. You both make good points. I think I went too dark with the sunrise reflection on the water when I used levels to darken the GBH. At the risk of going too far the other direction, here's a revision reflecting both your suggestions, as well as putting some punch back in the reflection of the rising sun.

[Randy Stout]

Mike:

Your repost is a nice mixture of Arties and Peter's suggestions and your own thoughts about the image, and I think it is a nice improvement. I would prefer that the dark band didn't go quite so close to the head, just a smidge higher on your part (per Peter) would have allowed a bit more separation.

Cheers

Randy

[Arthur Morris]

I too like your repost best Mike and agree with Randy on the dark band. Pulling in the tripod legs to get 6 inches to a foot higher would likely have helped center the head between the two lines.

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Nice repost Mike. Agree about the dark band though. Nicely saturated (not over IMHO) surrounds. Good worK! :)

[Daniel Cadieux]

Mike, your repost gives the colours a nice needed "puch" to them...well done! Another vote in regards to the darker band skimming the head, and what could have been done in the field to help with it.

P.S. neat that we can still see the white cheek patch!