The Rookery in Venice, Florida, in February is like trying to find a room in NYC on New Year's Eve, a little crowded, but they all manage to get along, Herons, Egrets, etc. Image adjustments in Lightroom and Photoshop. Tripod used. 33% crop factor.
Canon 1DX Mkii
Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x
560mm
ISO 1250
f5.6
1/1600sec
Great landing position. I love the outstretched lower legs and feet. I feel a bit more dof would have helped as on my monitor parts of the bird do not look as sharp as they could be. I like that the bird is shown in it's habitat.
Quite the landing pose, and set in sweet light too. I like the foliage in lower left corner, something to anchor the image. The feet look like the sharpest part of the image, and the composition is too tight at top and right IMO. I like you r description of the rookery...it is rather a hopping place in season!
Thank you for such helpful comments. Not sure dof was the culprit since I calculated with that hyperfocal 3 feet each way. I'm thinking blur — imagine the contortions you have to go through in order to land that way, except you'd keep the feet steady, right? Attaching next in the sequence stopped down to 6.3 and it's a little better but the ground's closer, too. Reframed as suggested. The Venice Audubon deserves much credit for the light by the helpful way that place is laid out. Just have to get there early Attachment 180427.
I have said it many times here. I just do not like rookery shots for the most part. They are cluttered with busy backgrounds. For me this is a delete. Bird is not sharp and is much too tight in the frame. I am guess you cropped so tight to avoid crowded backgrounds or other birds so do not think there is anything to be done here.
The Sekorski of Great Blue Herons
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