Tri Colored Heron with American Alligator

[Martha Weaver]

This was taken on March 8, 2009 at Brazos Bend State Park in Brazoria County, Texas (south of Houston). It was early on a crisp bright morning and the temperature was still in the 50's, so the gator must have been cool and still not moving around much. Somehow the bird must have known it.

I spotted the small gator and liked the early morning light on it. As I was sighting on the gator lying on the narrow strip of land the heron came soaring in and landed just in front of the alligator and proceeded to march right beside it, past it, and on down the way. Neither critter batted an eye or flicked a feather (or tail).

The Canon 40D with the 100-400 lens was hand-held. The iso was 250, f6.3 at 1/800.

[Ian Cassell]

Wow, Martha, what a wonderful catch! At first I was thinking that it would look better in pano with a lot cropped off the top, but I tried it and think it's much more effective the way you have it. It might have been improved with a bit of head turn toward you by the heron, but this works just fine.

[Kerry Perkins]

Hello Martha, wonderful moment captured here! I think Ian had a good thought with just a bit off the top (maybe just enough to crop down to the reflection part of in the water), but there is so much to like here that it seems minor. Super nature photo!

[Ian Cassell]

I've been thinking about it some more and believe I know why it works in this crop. The color in the water stops about 1/3 of the way down the image and the spit of dirt is about 1/3 the way up dividing the image into pleasing thirds.

[Martha Weaver]

Thank you for your observations. I too played around with the crop, and came up with the rule of thirds crop. However, I really was tempted to crop some of that sky out, too! It's just one of those judgment calls that various people like various things!