Bad Heron Day…bad hair day get it?? The ruffled neck feathers! Oh come on now you thought that was funny:p.
This image of a heron and cormorant fighting over a fish was captured on November 28th at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina on an overcast morning at 107AM.
This image was captured just before the one I posted on the Avian Wild and Free board (Fish Tug of War) the other day. I am not sure this rates as a good picture but, I really like the action and the alien look of the heron and thought I would share it with those of you here that have been so kind and helpful. I was able to get six images before the heron won the discussion. I would have like to have been able to see the cormorant’s eye but two out of three eyes isn’t bad.:D
I removed a couple of reeds. Other adjustments were to boost the contrast a bit and to darken the fish a little.
I am interested in your opinion on the merits of this image and to any composition suggestions you may have.
Thanks for looking and of course any critiques.
Regards,
Phil
Camera: 40D
Lens: Canon EF500mm f/4 IS USM plus 1.4x
Exposure: 1/500s at f/5.6
Exposure Program: Manual
Metering Mode: pattern
ISO: 800
Flash: No Flash
Tripod
My first reaction was that I found it humourous Phil, but would this be a fairly rare thing to have caught this interactive behaviour?? The Heron looks bizarre (but not in a bad way) :) The wings almost look like crab claws to me.
Phil, It's priceless! I love the action you were able to catch and I think it is the interaction between the two that is important to be seen and you can see it well
I like it a lot Phil and this is one image that does well in contest You should save and enter !!!
You got a good interaction, both birds in focus, no merging, pleasing bg and lots of feel !! I sure do like it !! Crop wise its good, you got enough room for the virtual feet, both birds feel fine and some extra to the right !!!
It is definitely a good action shot, although there are a few problems. I think that in the first place 1/500 sec was a little too slow, at least 1/1250 sec to catch the action. The cormorant's head position is less than ideal (as you noted), as well as the bird much less in focus than the GBH. I think that the lighting must have been less than optimal, for 1/500 sec at ISO 800 should have allowed a greater depth of field (assuming you were using aperture priority). In any case F5.6 isn't going to be adequate. One more thing. I think a tighter crop would be much more appropriate compositionaly. Later~Bill
Last edited by WIlliam Maroldo; 12-10-2008 at 06:58 PM.
First and most importantly thanks for all of your comments. I am glad you enjoyed the image.
William, yes the light was not optimal. The dark clouds were rolling in and it began to rain shortly after took this series of pictures. I would have loved to have been at least f8.0 and at 1000s (or greater) with an ISO of 400 but with the weather it was not to be. I was not in AV mode but was in manual. I thought about bumping the ISO up to 1600 to squeeze more speed but I find the noise at that setting to a bit much to handle. Defiantly not perfect but, I enjoyed the odd looking heron and the action. Thanks for your comments. I learn something every time I visit BPN.
that is one funky looking heron!!!! congrats on the action capture! love it. i think you did really well in the conditions you had. dont think i could have done any better!!
I like it. I think William has some valid points but I still really like it. The interaction and the look on the heron are so nice! You've got lots of good habitat around and nothing at all distracting about it. I do think you would have had an even stronger composition if you had taken a step or two to the left and had both their faces in the image. That said, I still like it!
Bad Heron Day (fishing for cormorants)
7AM.
