Playful Juvenile Heron

Gallery: AvianPosted June 20, 201299 views9 comments

This juvenile Blue Heron has been hanging around Trutle Creek the past two weeks and making a geat subject for me. He/she was picking up and dropping a object in a playful routine I enjoyed watching.
The beautiful feather pattern on the younster shows well here.
Sony DSL A 77
70-400 mm f 4.5 G Sony zoom at 230mm
F 6.5
ISO 640
Tripod and ball head
Camo blanket covering

LR3 raw
PS5 slight crop and selective noise reduction
clone of distracting reflections in top backgound

Comments

9 comments

Comment posted by Dan Roberts on June 20, 2012 at 5:31 PM

Really interesting lighting here. The smooth, dark water and dark BG really isolate the subject. Looks like some cloning artifacts to the right of the bird's head about half way to edge of frame.

Registered on March 9, 2011, 69 Posts, 501 Comments

Comment posted by Rick Turner on June 20, 2012 at 5:53 PM

Thanks Dan.

Registered on February 18, 2012, 534 Posts, 2755 Comments

Comment posted by May Haga on June 20, 2012 at 6:50 PM

Beautiful light on the heron's feathers. Interesting action. Very well done.
May

Registered on February 22, 2007, 714 Posts, 8470 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on June 20, 2012 at 7:06 PM

Nice low angle, good pose and detail. A little more "breathing room" would be good. There is a line extending from the birds beak to the edge of the frame. What is that? It looks out of place in what is surrounded by OOF space. I think I would use a "content aware" brush and remove it.

Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments

Comment posted by Barbara Graham on June 20, 2012 at 8:06 PM

Great lighting for this image and to show off those beautiful feather patterns, really nice angle and POV.

Registered on July 27, 2010, 1310 Posts, 5035 Comments

Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on June 21, 2012 at 12:54 AM

The low angle makes the shot. Well done.

Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments

Comment posted by Rick Turner on June 21, 2012 at 8:27 AM

Here is post with suggestions applied. Thanks for the comments

Registered on February 18, 2012, 534 Posts, 2755 Comments

Comment posted by Patrick O'Healy on June 21, 2012 at 10:13 AM

Great feather detail. Have not seen one with these colors. I really like the texture of the reflection.

Registered on March 13, 2011, 326 Posts, 1679 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on June 21, 2012 at 7:17 PM

Very nice nice job of capturing the "magic" of the moment Rick, really like this.
I see everyone put ya through the hoops, so the ship's ready to sail I see

Great shot!

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments