American Bittern

[Asta Tobiassen]

This was taken at Nisqually Wildlife Refuge, near Olympia, WA, October 2010. As if he doesn't already blend in well enough to this grass/reed environment, he added a few pieces of duck weed to the top of his head to really help fool his prey :bg3:

7d, 100-400
1/250, f5.6, ISO 800
No crop except I changed it from a horizontal to a vertical crop. Minor exposure, clarity, eye sharpening in LR. I would have liked his head to have been turned more toward me. Thanks for looking.

100043

[Kerry Perkins]

Hi Asta, thanks for posting a theme image! Good job of capturing the environment that hides the bittern so well. Agree with your assessment of the head angle, a little bit of a head turn would have been nice. Good exposure and color, nice work on the eye. I would suggest using a curves adjustment (or using "recover" in LR) to tone down the brightest highlights. Keep them coming!

[wendell westfall]

Asta, I love most everything about this image, even the head turn which, for me, is another suggestion that the bird is hiding, as they do so well. If I were to offer a minor suggestion it would be to clone away the small bit of leaf (I believe that's what it is) atop the bittern's head. For me it distracts . . . You have some beautiful (and damp) wildlife environment up there.

[Fred Canter]

Asta, I agree with Kerry suggestions about a curve or recovery adjustment to tone down the highlights. I actually like the HA in this case, as the photo shows the GH emerging from cover and focused somewhere else beside towards you. Gives the feeling that either the bird didn't know you were there or could care less.

[Asta Tobiassen]

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. Here is a repost with attempting to tone down the bright areas by using the recovery slider (it is up as far as it will go) and removing the blade of grass from his head (that is what you meant, right Wendell?). Removing objects is a challenge for me, using Lightroom, since you have to remove things in circular patterns (seems like it is really intended to remove unwanted spots rather that linear objects like this). I like the concept, but not sure the efffect is seemless with my technique. I really appreciate all of your guidance.
100152

[Jeff Cashdollar]

Nice repost and good theme picture. I agree with your comments regarding removing objects in LR. I use CS5 for that process. As you mentioned it can be done in LR just seems more challenging give the functionality of that application. Nice job with the higher ISO to bump up shutter speed. I do not like to be over 400 with the 7D, but when shooting in dark areas adjustments are needed to get detail - well done.

[wendell westfall]

Nice job, Asta. Yes, it is difficult with LR3, which I have and like a lot (but not for this job). I also have an old edition of Photoshop (CS3), which I do not use, preferring PS Elements 8 because it is simpler and because I've never really mastered CS3. Elements is much cheaper to buy, and I would recommend it. It seems to have enough features . . .