Green Heron Profile

[WIlliam Maroldo]

Sony A700~Sony70-400G~Sony 1.4X convertor~Sony HVL-F56AM~FocalLength 560mm~ISO500~f10~1/500sec~manual exposure~overcast~4-11-09~Brazos Bend State Park, Texas
Although taken 2 months ago, today I might have approached the situation a bit differently.
Although overcast, it was dimmer than I would like, and I used the flash to brighten up the subject. In retrospect I should have just gone to ISO 640. In any case, I was having difficulty getting that "overexposure" I now appreciate, and underexposed slightly. The fact that I was using the teleconvertor and manually focusing, in relatively dim light, didn't help.
To sum it up I see problems, yet overall I think it is a pretty good image. This is a full frame image, composed completely in camera. I am sure that some will comment that it is too tight in the frame. I could fairly easily be convinced that this is the case, but I need a more concrete arguement than you need more space top, left, etc.
comments and critique welcomed ~Bill

[Dave Mills]

I agree about the case for a bit more room in the back. I noticed a color caste within the image and removed it.

[Dave Phillips]

Hmmmm....first seems yellow, Dave's seems blue/green.....my try, LOL!
Bill, I have never seen such a fast oof falloff on the duckweed.....was there some
additional bg blurring?
Nice greenie

[WIlliam Maroldo]

Hi Dave. Was it a green color cast by any chance? I have serious problems with it when water is covered by duckweed. Flight captures, which generally benefit from light reflecting off of water surfaces to fill in shadows..well not so much if the light is green!
regards~Bill

[WIlliam Maroldo]

To the other Dave(Phillips); Actually I did blur the background, but just cause I didn't want spend time with the healing or clone stamp tool. That said, and the lack of a tonal gradient (the way I see what you are describing)is present in practically all images(of grren herons) I shot that day. The low angle the images were shot, the aperture, the lighting, I'm not sure why. Looking at other images, shot under different lighting conditions, show the tonal gradient we would expect. regards~Bill

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Cool pose, angle and interesting crop. I might give it a little bit more room, like it much better without color cast and wish for a bit more head turn toward you.

[Dave Mills]

Hey Dave...I think you got a better color balance....

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

Dave's repost is my favorite. The original has too much yellow. A great image any ways and I would love to have it in my files. Well done.

[Ramon M. Casares]

Second repost is better colorwise IMO, nice pose, detail, colors and BG.
Congratulations!

[WIlliam Maroldo]

Thanks Juan! Which Dave are you referring to? We got two of em, a Mills and a Phillips. I'm thinking the second one. although Dave #1 was on the right track. Thanks Daves. regards~Bill

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

Thanks Juan! Which Dave are you referring to? We got two of em, a Mills and a Phillips. I'm thinking the second one. although Dave #1 was on the right track. Thanks Daves. regards~Bill

Well, I didn't know the other DMills is actually David, so you will have to excuse me for that. I mean David Phillips.

Cheers.

[WIlliam Maroldo]

I know Juan. Just kidding around. I didn't know this either, til I looked closer. ~Bill

[Stu Bowie]

Bill, I like the concentrated look, with a lovely low posture. Your pano crop works well, and I like the weed on the feet.