Hi Susan Razor sharp image and love the open beak !!! Did well with the harsh light I would desaturate the sky a little and give a little more room at the bottom if you have it !!! Sure was fun at the Farm !!!
This made me smile. Definitely a different pose from what I am use to seeing but that is what I like about it. Lots of good details. I agree with Randy cropping suggestion. Thanks from sharing.
The Great Egret is undoubtedly my favorite bird to photograph. They are real aerial contortionists, and when they bank, and roll, and land, it seems there is an unlimited amount of different positions they can be photographed doing. Unfortunately, in my experience at least, direct sunlight, except when the bird is completely backlight and a high key image is wanted, is extremely difficult. Often parts of the bird i.e. wings cause dark shadows on other parts, etc. Blown whites are a constant threat, and avoiding them results in the rest of the bird being too dark. You can recover this, but you introduce noise, etc. etc. Overcast conditions are amost a prerequisite, and since the position of the sun is far less important, you don't have to worry about it. Nonetheless, you did a good job, and the compostion is excellent. regards~Bill
Last edited by WIlliam Maroldo; 05-10-2009 at 12:41 AM.
Nice pose and relatively good job with the somewhat harsh, off angled light. And yes, too tight in the frame. There are lots of blown whites so best to check out the "How White the Whites" thread in Educational Resources and start over with the RAW file.
It would be best if everyone studied that thread and learned to present images without blown whites....
Susan, were you with Al and Fabs?
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I started from RAW again, added canvas, selected the bird and went to work on the highlights and shadows with ROT's quick-masking techniques and the multiply and screen blending modes. I really didn't think the image was worth all that work because it was really just a fun post. The bird looked like it was doing a human gesture that we all are familiar with, but I get your points all of you. I realize this is old news and no-one will probably look.
Artie, I was there on my own with Judy Lynn. We socialized with Al and Fabs.
Susan, Thanks for the info. I still love the pose. In the repost you have eliminated the hotspots but it needs more pop. Something between the ORIG and the repost. More contrast w/0 the blown whites.
As for it being a fun image, I critique each image as if it were my own....
BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.
BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.
Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,
"So, Whadya think?"
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