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Thread: A closeby green heron, featuring some magnificent problems

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    Default A closeby green heron, featuring some magnificent problems

    Folks, hello! I posted an altered version this shot very recently in the "out of the box" section of this fine forum, and would like to post the original here. Part of my love for this picture comes from the fact that I was this close to a green heron. He even tolerated my moving around a little bit, but everywhere I went, the backgrounds were nasty, gnarly, cluttered, atrocious! The light was nice and the bird was amazing, and anyhow here is the picture, which I'll turn over to you for some feedback and suggestion. Taken with the Canon 7D and 70-300L at 221 mm (!) - iso800, 1/640, f7.1...
    I've done some mild burning in of certain places, and I've cropped away 30% of the image, mostly from the sides, so as to create a portrait-style presentation. I have some shots zoomed in all the way to 300mm, but (perhaps strangely) I preferred this one. Anyhow...I'll welcome your thoughts and opinions. I love "habitat shots" but I'm not sure about this one, obviously. Too much clutter?! Would you keep this shot or throw it away? Why? Thank you!
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    I would definitely keep it. It's a sweet bird in habitat image. I'd bet you
    did as well as possible with this scenario. The water is very nice and I like
    the ripple action. There's a lot to like here Breakfast.

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    I love being called Breakfast! Only the best people call me that, yes. Thanks also, Shawn, for your encouraging comments. On another note: locale, I'm told, makes all the difference. The folks I know who winter down in FLA tell me that one can habitually get real close to these herons who are famous for their skittishness up here in ONT...
    Last edited by Jack Breakfast; 09-06-2012 at 11:15 AM.

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    They are very skittish in Northern Minnesota as well. They will take off at the slightest sound or movement.
    I've looked in vain (thus far) for favorite (photographable) hunting areas. I would have flipped to get an image
    this good of one up here.

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    Very nice shot Jack. I really like the pose, love the lighting, excellent details, and I personally like the habitat. A well balanced shot in my eyes.
    Well done.

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    Thanks, Robert! I was "flipping out" because the heron was exhibiting (what seemed to me like) unnatural behaviour. Here's what happened: he was fishing 100 ft away, I sat on the stone wall that runs the perimeter of the pond, waited and watched him for an hour, foolishly hoping he might fly into the branches nearby, where the light and the water was nice. Quite suddenly he whirled around and flew to the branches 30 ft away. He was really checking me out, finally got as close as you see him (or her?) here, posed for a few moments, and then walked away from me, continued to fish about 15 ft away...those pictures didn't turn out so well, he was really among the brambly branches...his back was turned, he paid me no mind...
    Last edited by Jack Breakfast; 09-06-2012 at 11:58 AM.

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    Jack, very nice portrait. Not much you can do about the background, but it's part of the habitat! I might consider removing the vignette (I assume it was added in post?).

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    Miguel, I added less of a vignette than you might think...a little bit of burning in at the corners, particularly lower left and right...

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    Nice shot, Jack. I like the colours, pose and the details are excellent. No Nits from me.

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    Macro and Flora Moderator Jonathan Ashton's Avatar
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    I think the bird is very well presented in the image Jack, the details and colours are excellent. I accept the natural surroundings, but I do have a suggestion: I would consider selecting the pale patches on the branch behind the bird and brushing them with a darker colour selected from the branch, I think it would become much less apparant and help maintain focus on that superb bird shot!

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    Jack, nice details and I am liking the angle of the subject...w.r.t the light angle. However, the BG is a little bit too distracting for my tastes. But I'd keep it as well.

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    I like the setting a lot, not too busy for me. This is where they live.
    Dan Kearl

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    Many thanks for the encouraging compliments. Jonathan, your brain is good and smart and I shall listen to it! A fine idea! As for the rest of you folks: your brains are good and smart also. Do not feel left out! It is only my brain that is bogged to uselessness in the proverbial mulchpile of birds and life...

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    Excellent image in habitat.
    I would just make lighter area in front of beak as dark as rest of the area and remove a vignette to get more 3D effectin the image.
    Love the Heron and his expression.

    Regards,
    Satish.

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    Super Moderator Daniel Cadieux's Avatar
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    I like the mood here, and the splash of light hitting the face and neck. You placed yourself best you could with the situation, but I still would have prefered less clutter behind the head. I "browser cropped" from above and liked the result when hiding the gap between the branch and top of the frame, made for a more solid edge up there. I know how skittish they can be too, so best to take the images when you can!! BTW, what I like best about the image is the water ripple.

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    Thanks Daniel, I did a little bit of that browser cropping as well and I agree with you, somewhere between 97 and 100%. Ha ha! Actually that's not funny. Anyhow: yes yes, the water ripple makes it for me also...the shots preceding and following didn't have the same va-va-voom, as they say...thanks kindly for your comments!

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