Juvenile Great Blue Heron, deserting me [Archive] - BirdPhotographers.net

Jack Breakfast

03-05-2012, 10:39 AM

Greetings, birdfiends...I'm pleased to offer up for "C&C" this great blue heron, a cozy juvenile who took up residency at my nearby duckpond last summer. He (she?) would remove 10 or 12 goldfish and even catfish over the course of a couple of hours, a sight to behold. The bird created quite a stir among the park people and would sometimes draw not unsubstantial crowds who would respond to his (her?) repeated catches with ACTUAL APPLAUSE! Birds do not amaze me; people certainly do. Taken with the Canon 7D and 200mm f2.8 lens, iso400, 1/1250, f2.8. I cropped about 15% of the image (an unpleasant brown strip at the top) but other than that, it's as-shot. Will some of you say "YOUR HEAD ANGLE IS WRONG" (one of my favorite phrases on the forum) or perhaps "THIS HERON OBVIOUSLY HATES YOU OTHERWISE WHY IS HE FLYING AWAY". I don't know! That's why I'm posting it for you now. But enough bird-delirium...really and truly, I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions RE this image...
Many thanks!
109715

Richard Unsworth

03-05-2012, 11:07 AM

Ha Jack

the two reasons you gave are the ones that do affect it; for me its still a really good photo; the heron's color is also good and they are not easy to get that right.
pat on the back really because its a well executed image. BG is particularly nice and IQ pretty good.

Dan Brown

03-05-2012, 11:22 AM

I like this, Jack! Great execution, (sharpness, exp, bg) in nice soft light. This makes a great study of the wing feathering. As you mention, the bird is flying away and this created the bad HA or non-contact with the viewer. If only the close wing were trailing the far wing a little, this would help to make the connection with the viewer, and then a tiny head turn toward the camera would finish this off. I think it's a keeper!

Jack Breakfast

03-05-2012, 11:23 AM

Thanks for your comments, Richard and Dan. I'm more open-minded than most regarding "HA" (although perhaps "more open-minded" could be translated as "less picky" or even "more of a Philistine") but do agree that a bird flying away is not the ideal, although of course there are always exceptions. As far as head angle goes, I am quite fond of the "bird focused on its destination and paying no heed to the viewer" sort of look, but realize that I am in the minority on that front? That's not to say that I'd say no to a sweet little head turn, of course...

Karl Egressy

03-05-2012, 04:03 PM

Great floght shot against terrestial background. Love the dropets of water coming off the feet.

gail bisson

03-05-2012, 05:00 PM

Hi Jack,
This one is good! The IQ is one of your best so far and you have a great BG. The trailing drops of water add to the image as well. In a perfect world you would have a better HA but that is what keeps us obsessed bird photographers going out time and time again!
Gail

Jonathan Ashton

03-05-2012, 05:09 PM

Very nice shot indeed Jack, no point crying over spilt milk, you know the head isn't perfect - but hey it is sharp and well exposed - it is good! The only suggestion I would offer would be a slight re-composition - just add a little more canvas to the left.

Jack Breakfast

03-05-2012, 06:04 PM

Many thanks, bird aesthetes, for your thoughtful comments. Again with the canvas adding, eh? Perhaps you'll make a convert out of me yet...my mind is open, sort of...

Frank Schauf

03-07-2012, 02:54 AM

Very nice flight pose and bg colours.

Cheryl Arena Molennor

03-08-2012, 11:17 AM

Nice pose and bg . I like the trailing water too. I just wish for a slight angle toward us