Hiding BCNH

[Ian Cassell]

I went to the pond looking for herons and they were sparse. Then I looked up ...

Canon 7D
Sigma 100-300mm f/4 @ 300mm
1/1000 sec @ f/8 ISO 400 Handheld

[arash_hazeghi]

you got a nice eye contact from an attractive bird, red eye looks good. It is also cool that you are almost level with the bird but overall a bit busy. Unfortunately harsh shadows on the bird and lack of detail in the plumage hurt this image.

TFS, practice makes perfect.

[Ian Cassell]

Thanks, Arash.

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Ian

I know its frustrating to find a bird and be able to work him, birds in deep shadows will never come out the way you want to. We call it mixed light, even using flash would be problematic at best !! It is a well exposed sharp image and well framed !! Would try to keep searching, I'm sure you will come up with one in the open !!

...also when you find them needs to be early/late in the day unless you have a heavy overcast !!!

[Bill Dix]

In my neck of the woods, these are hard birds to find at all. I saw a pair last week hiding in the shadows of the reeds at Brigantine; nice to see them but impossible to photograph. Were it mine I would be pleased to have this in my record files, at least until able to find another in better light.

[Ian Cassell]

Thanks Alfred and Bill. I have quite a few standing at water's edge, but have never before found one sitting in a tree where I had a good look at his face. Unfortunately, the Arizona sun isn't helping me.

[Lance Peters]

Hi - AL nailed it for me - we get a similar species here - and have exactly the same problem - usually high up in the trees - rare to see what at ground level.
Think you did the best you could have here.
Keep em coming :)

[Dave Leroy]

We have them around here in the winter time and they are always in the middle of a thicket. They come out at night.

Good for you to get a nice clean look even with the Arizona sun.

I like the nice head turn and eye contact.

[Dave Mills]

Hi Ian, Too bad the bird was in a tree that gave you heavy shadows and blown highlights. Even though the subject is in it's environment I find the backround very distracting.