Yellow Crested Night Herons Mating Dance

[John Hawkins]

I photographed these 2 in JN "Ding" Darling Wildlife Refuge Sanibel, FL.
I used my Sony Alpha 100 with A Sigma 500 zoom lense at 230 mm,1/400 exposure,f/6.3,ISO 200, matrix metering.

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Really like the pose and action you captured in this image John but I find that the focus appears to be on the backs of the birds thus leaving the heads a little on the soft side on my monitor. Not an easy inage to get as the focusing is difficult with so many branches around. Many thanks for sharing.

[Maxis Gamez]

Ditto what Judy said!

In these situations you have to step down to f/8 or even f/11.

[Arthur Morris]

As above, but you first need to focus on the eyes. With all the clutter above their heads, you did reasonably well (but much better to find them on a clean perch...) I saw these birds on that same branch but passed on them as there heads were deep in the clutter at the time and I had an IPPT group with me. (There was only room for one or two persons...)

later and love, artie

[John Hawkins]

Thank you for your comments. I am trying to learn. Still a very novice amatuer.
John