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Cattle Egrets
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Cattle Egrets

by David Sparks

Gallery: AvianPosted June 6, 201170 views5 comments
Vying for the Preferred Perch
Photo taken May 15, 2011 at Jefferson Island, Louisiana. Cropped to 55% of full frame (no additional canvas on the top).
D300, 300mm f/4 + 1.4x tc, 1/2500 s, f/8, ISO 320.
Comments and suggestions most welcome.

Comments

5 comments
Comment posted by Steve Balke on June 6, 2011 at 7:32 PM
Nice capture, David. In addition to the interaction I also like the exposure you used and the dark bg with contrasts so well with the birds. It would be better with complete wings, of course, but interestingly, I really don't miss those wing tips all that much! In examining this image I considered the idea of narrowing it to a vertical and snipping the wings of the bottom bird too. Curiously, I fine that the image would not appeal to me as much: I'm more sensitive to having complete wings on the bottom bird.
Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments
Comment posted by Steve Canuel on June 6, 2011 at 7:56 PM
Nice exposure and detail in those whites. I know you don't have it but this one needed to be a vertical format with the full wings for me. With the bird looking up and the vertical position of the upper one's leg and wings, it leads my eye from the bottom up but abruptly stops at the clipped wings.
Registered on September 12, 2010, 53 Posts, 660 Comments
Comment posted by David Sparks on June 6, 2011 at 8:16 PM
Jim, Steve, Steve:
I saw this behavior the first morning I was at Jefferson Island and spent a bit of time that day and the next morning trying to capture it. It did not happen that often and this was my best chance, but I was too slow getting the birds in the viewfinder and, as you see, did not get both birds fully in the frame. I posted it to see what others thought about the missing wings. I think you think the same thing I do - it would be so much better with both birds fully in the frame.
Thanks for the feedback.
Registered on May 26, 2007, 290 Posts, 4270 Comments
Comment posted by Ray Whitt on June 6, 2011 at 9:26 PM
Great interaction between the egrets. The whites look great. Nice work,

Ray
Registered on May 27, 2011, 92 Posts, 2619 Comments
Comment posted by Raymond Klassen on June 6, 2011 at 10:02 PM
I love the contrast with the background, and the poses, especially the bottom bird. I'd like the wings to be showing on top, but a really cool action shot nonetheless.
Registered on November 30, 2008, 114 Posts, 790 Comments