Little Blue Heron

[WIlliam Maroldo]

Sony A850~Sony 70-400G@400mm~ISO 3200~1/1000sec~F6.3~manual exposure~HH~overcast~1-10-2011~Brazos Bend State Park, Texas~CS5
It was very cold, and sprinkling, and I was in perhaps 3-4 inches of very cold water in the mud wearing my wading boots. To make a long story short this is the best viewing angle I could manage. The background and foreground leave alot to be desired, and I would have liked a much lower viewpoint.
Anyway I like the way birds fluff up their feathers when it is cold.
comments and critique welcomed. regards~Bill

[John Chardine]

Come on Bill, if you were wet already, why not just lay down in that stuff for a nice camera angle!!!!!!!!!! Rhetorical question, I know why! I've sometimes wondered if you could fake a better low angle in Ps with some Transform Vertical Perspective in the Lens Correction filter and selective blurring.

Love the subtle colours of this great bird. It really should be called a Purple-headed Heron. I think the bird is a little tight in the frame up top. I might try to tone down the bright highlights in the water.

[WIlliam Maroldo]

Thanks John. I was already freezing my butt off, and getting more wet was not an option; I'm just simply not a dedicated enough Avian Photographer!
Now that I've looked at my own image a bit more, and if I were not the photographer and commenting on the same image that someone else posted I might say something like" backgrounds, and foregrounds to a lesser extent, can make or break an image. Even though the subject has good qualities this does not make up for the poor viewing angle and very disruptive foreground/ background that are IMO an image killer." Of course in ETL this would seem a bit harsh. regards~Bill

[Dave Leroy]

Sounds a bit like summer.

Aside from a bit more room on top, a crop to a more vertical and then separate the bg and tone it down and blur is an option.

Your self assessment does sound a bit harsh Bill. I do agree though, that this photo does not seem to be up to your usual standards.

Posting photos for critique is such a great way to learn.

Dave

[Allen Hirsch]

Did you try darkening & blurring the BG? Not so much that it's unnatural, but to take the sheen off the water & leaves might be enough to let the subject stand out.

[WIlliam Maroldo]

Thanks Dave and Allen. Allen, excellent suggestion, and I'd think it would be worth the time if the image had a better viewing angle, or if it was a bird species that I don't see all the time. The big advantage of the lower viewpoint is that it is easier to have the background blurred in camera, as opposed to a post-processing, and time consuming, solution. Appreciate the feedback. regards~Bill

[Peter Farrell]

Hey, Bill. The bird really looks good. I love the putple head and chest feathers.
BG, as stated, hurts the image some.
Peter

[William Malacarne]

I agree with what has been said, but one thing bothers me that has not been mentioned. So I guess it must just be me. I feel there is not enough room on the bottom for the feet.

Bill

[WIlliam Maroldo]

I appreciate the observations. Bill (good name), cutting off "virtual feet" is certainly to be avoided, however the bird is ankle deep, and with the viewing angle as it is, my opinion is there is enough room. Could be wrong. regards~Bill