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GBH+Repost
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GBH+Repost

by Steve Balke

Gallery: AvianPosted December 5, 2010102 views9 comments
Great Blue Heron (Ardea hernias)

This is another shot of the same GBH as my previous image taken at the same time. I have many shots of this bird with its head hidden beneath its wing. As I mentioned earlier, every once in awhile it would raise its head and glare at me. This image is a better example than the last one of the glare. Also, we can see it's feet. I'm so accustomed to seeing long nails on bird's feet that I find these peculiar. We only see one foot: the other is tucked up under its chin. The image is nearly full frame: I trimmed a bit from the bottom to raise the bird in the frame.

As in the previous image, I did have to remove some OOF branches remote from the bird in this image. The background is just as threatening as in the previous one. However, this time we see more branches.

1D Mark IV, 400 mm f/5.6+1.4x TC: ISO 1250, 1/640 s, f/8, 15.3 MP after cropping, usual NR, exposure adjustment, sharpening; some remote branch removal.

Comments

9 comments
Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on December 6, 2010 at 1:09 PM
An interesting kind of two-toned BG in this shot Steve. My only nit is that I would prefer the room you have behind the bird in front and the room you have in front switched to behind the bird. Just a bit too tight in front for my very picky taste.
Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments
Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on December 6, 2010 at 1:11 PM
An interesting kind of two-toned BG in this shot Steve. My only nit is that I would prefer the room you have behind the bird in front and the room you have in front switched to behind the bird. Just a bit too tight in front for my very picky taste.
Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments
Comment posted by Monica Siri on December 6, 2010 at 1:45 PM
Steve,
like the frowning expression. Good detail.
Just a bit more room in front. :toast:
Registered on September 20, 2009, 132 Posts, 3764 Comments
Comment posted by Ron Dudley on December 6, 2010 at 8:57 PM
The "grumpiness" of the bird sure comes through on this one Steve. Really like the nice detail and enjoy the little water drop coming off of the bill. A little tight but another example of the trials and tribulations we sometimes go through with FF (or almost FF) shots.
Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments
Comment posted by Eric Diller on December 6, 2010 at 10:08 PM
Definitely the grumpy pose! Nice capture and detail....I agree with the crop.
Registered on October 2, 2009, 69 Posts, 434 Comments
Comment posted by Steve Balke on December 6, 2010 at 11:14 PM
I much appreciate all of your comments. It's great to know what your tastes are: "picky" or not. It's fine with me. The room around the bird is less than I would wish. I backed up as much as I could in the heavy bush around the bird and I was actually happy to retreat sufficiently far to fit the whole bird in the frame. Also, I had only one clear viewing angle too: again, due to branches. So, I was limited to essentially a full frame image and little flexibility with respect to space around the bird. That said, in such a situation, because there are plenty of pixels available, I can decide to post an image showing only a portion of the bird. Here is a 3.9 MP portrait extracted from the original. To my eyes the detail still looks fine despite the large crop. :wink:
Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments
Comment posted by Howard Cheek on December 7, 2010 at 6:03 AM
Nice follow up post showing us the whole bird, fine details and well exposed.
A bit tight as said, but part of using a fixed focal length lens of course..
Well done :toast:
Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments
Comment posted by Dan Moore on December 7, 2010 at 8:06 AM
Both are very nice --I like the portrait crop a little better because it emphasizes the grouch look that is so strong.

Dan
Registered on February 11, 2010, 143 Posts, 1248 Comments
Comment posted by Mia McPherson on December 7, 2010 at 11:50 AM
Steve,

I like the pose and the grouch look the heron has.
Registered on June 25, 2007, 491 Posts, 12566 Comments