Black Headed Heron

[Kobus Tollig]

Canon 40D
100-400mm @ 400mm
1/2500 sec, f/8
Mode: Manual
Metering: Evaluative
ISO: 640
AF mode: AI Servo AF
Drive: Continuous (high): frame 1
White balance: Auto
Flash: Off
Taken at Tuks University Pretoria SA
All C&C Welcome

[Mital Patel]

this is a wonderful pose and nice freeze action.
light angle, sharpness, exposure colors are just perfect to my eyes.

congratulations on a gr8 capture.

[Morkel Erasmus]

jip this is super Kobus!! love the red inside the open beak. pose is great and expansive. you lost some detail inside the bird's right wing though. :(

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Great wing position, open bill and dangling feet. I can't figure out what the yellow thing on the bird's left foot is.

[Kobus Tollig]

Thx for the comments appreciate it. Morkel i dont agree lol
Axel its grass stuck between his toes lol

[Morkel Erasmus]

;) right where the shadow of the beak falls onto the wing. it's not blown it's just that the feather lines are indistinguishable in that spot. my screen is calibrated correctly. :D

[Randy Stout]

Kobus:

Very nice. It looks like he is laughing.
Nice technicals. I notice the bill shadow on the right wing, but I am OK with it. Easily fixed if need be.

Congrats.

Randy

[Kobus Tollig]

i know where but i dont agree lol
lets see what others say bud

[Aidan Briggs]

I like the calling pose, and outstretched wings. The whites look fine to me. The only thing that detracts from the image is the shadow of the head on the wing, however, it is still a great image.

[Morkel Erasmus]

as I said above: it does not detract from the image, which is great! :)
it's not that the shadow causes it - it's more an area around the shadow that I'm speaking of. I would just select that area and reduce highlights slightly to get that wing on similar level of detail as the other.
:D

[Mark Dumbleton]

Super image - great light and love the open beak!

[Stu Bowie]

Super landing posture Kobus, and love the wing spread, and open beak. Well captured.

[Gyorgy Szimuly]

Awesome image. So dynamic and so sharp.
I like it the way presented.

Szimi

[Kobus Tollig]

For Morkel :D

[Morkel Erasmus]

thanks for editing and posting this just for me, bud. I will give you a big bear-hug once I see you again in the Cape.
;)

[Juan Aragonés]

Kobus the action you got here is simply fantastic. I see your point about the whites in the right wing and I see what Morkel wants to go. Sometimes, the whites are not hot (i.e. not in the 255 level) but are very bright compared to other areas in the image and I think that this is a good example. Of course is not a problem in the image, just a matter of taste. In my opinion, the original works perfect and with such a great action it is difficult to see any other detail in the image ;)

[Ramon M. Casares]

Just outstanding! Love the terrific pose, the great light, the open bill, detail, exposure, colors and comp. Big, huge congratulations!

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

OUtstanding wing flare. Super sharpness Kobus. Congrats! Nothing to pick on! :D

[Arthur Morris]

Spectacular braking pose. The repost is for Juan with whom I agree.

25% Linear Burn on the bright areas of the right wing.

[Charles Glatzer]

Sweet image.

Initial exposure looks good from here, with wonderful detail throughout. Slight burn on right wing repost looks great.

Best,

Chas

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

Number 1 thanks for sharing this new species for me.

Great landing pose. Love the open bill. Arthur's repost makes this one even better. Congrats on a fine image.

[Kobus Tollig]

Thx all for the great comments appreciate it. Arthur thx for your repost it looks great.

Ps. Just want to say Morkel and I am friends and I hope we did not look like having a fight or so hehehe. We understand each other in being to the point. Thx bud ;-)

[Chris Kotze]

Ditto comments. Great shot and pose

[Kiran Poonacha]

Very beautiful Image.. great pose.. the open beak adds to the frame.. congrats..

[Kobus Tollig]

Thx again to all for the great comments and help