Huddled against the early morning chill air, this Yellow-crowned Night Heron brought to mind an image of a great Indian Chief. The original is quieter, have I over-processed? He was downslope and looking at it now, I think I should have gotten lower?
Taken in Puerto Vallarta
Canon 40D, 100-400
400mm
AV
f5.6
1/40
ISO 200
Eval -1/3
Katie,
This is wonderful. I've never seen a bird in this pose. The divide between the grass and water acts as a perfect leading line into and out of the photo. I'd like a little more on the right side simply because I wonder if there's more there but for most viewers, the line will guide them right through without even seeing the lower right.
I think your angle (elevation) is perfect. Getting lower would have lost that hunched over, contemplative mood. I'd have to see the original to know which I prefer but I don't think the PP is overdone on this one. I'm jealous, this is a super keeper.
Sure wish you could have moved a little so the head of the bird was not on the grass line Also a more room at bottom and right would have been in order
Processing wise there is something going on I don't see crisp feather detail and the blacks on the head are blocked I you email the full image might be interesting to see if there would be much difference Also as in others a better head angle would have helped !!!
Hi Katie (& Alfred),
Just to clarify why there may be widely disparate critiques. Alfred is correct that the photo would have been better with the head above the grass line. My feedback comes from the fact that I had never seen a bird in that pose so I would grab the shot first and then work it. By going higher or lower, I think you would have lost the overall mood of the photo.
Were you able to work the scene? Did you take multiple photos until the bird (or your friends) got tired and left? I think that may help get better composition. If nothing else, it will give you extra bits and pieces to clone in if you're missing a wingtip or feather or foot.
Lee and Al,
Thank you both for your feedback. I did have time to work the subject, BUT at that time I didn't have enough knowledge to even think about the head and the grassline...now, thanks to BPN, I have a much more critical eye and while I was processing it, I realized the grassline, especially at the beak, was a distraction. I did take multiple shots but only kept the best one (I'm trying to edit more ruthlessly). I really like this photo but I'm not entirely happy with my final result. So much to learn and so much fun! Al, thanks for your offer, I emailed the original to you.
Katie
Got the original and here it is Katie Just did the basic levels curves very slight saturation (de saturated the green) and sharpened Was the original shot in RAW?
......btw that bird needs hair care in a bad way !!!!!
Do so asap !!!! Remember when the image is compressed you throw out lots of information Will be working in 8 bit which will not give you as smooth tonal changes plus lots of other things !!!! Converting is not difficult at all !!!
Ahhh the old grass trick !!!! That is one way Lee:) I was thinking if you move around a bit the without doing so up/down You could alter the relationship to the slope
Also don't think you could alter much that strange pose :):)
Katie, I second Al's recommendation to switch to RAW -- it's easy. I had used JPEG from the time I started digital photography not so long ago. But then he suggested (strongly!) that I switch to RAW. I've never thanked him, so I'll take the opportunity to do it here. Even I can see a positive difference in my work.
Weary Contemplation
