Black-crowned NightHeron

Gallery: AvianPosted March 14, 2010192 views27 comments

Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax)

Place: Water Ranch, Gilbert, AZ, USA
Date: March 6, 2010
Equipment: Nikon D200, Nikkor AF-S 300/2.8 & TC20E (2x), G1325, RRS BH-55, Sidekick
Exposure: ISO 400, aperture priority spot metered, 1/800th @ f/8, natural light (no flash)
Raw, PS CS3 on Mac G4, minimal cropping, no cloning, no noise reduction

Possibly the same bird as my post from three weeks ago.

Larger version provided for critical viewing of image quality and detail. Honest critiques requested; all comments appreciated.

Comments

27 comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on March 14, 2010 at 2:15 PM

I like it Richard, the eye and head stand out nicely.

Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Moore on March 14, 2010 at 2:16 PM

Nice to see these guys out in the light.They look so much better than always seeing them in the daark shadows!

Dan

Registered on February 11, 2010, 143 Posts, 1248 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on March 14, 2010 at 3:02 PM

Rich, I like the light here, especially how it makes the eye and head look. I also like the DOF and the habitat. Very nice feel to the overall image. Well done.

Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Marquart on March 14, 2010 at 3:03 PM

Hey Richard, I'm one who likes to see natural habitat in photos,so generally speaking the brush and or sapplings is fine by me. There's only two that I find a little distracting, the vertical one up the wing which could be cloned out down to the other one that bothers me a little, the real OOF horizontal one across the bottom of the wing which I don't think you can do anything about and it's not a big deal anyway. I really like the head, especially the eye looks great.
Nice Post.

Registered on October 24, 2009, 126 Posts, 799 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Leggett on March 14, 2010 at 3:18 PM

Very nice take on this elusive species, Richard! I've never had much success in getting them out in the open. Interesting environment, and well done.

Registered on July 21, 2004, 706 Posts, 3233 Comments

Comment posted by Roy Bailey on March 14, 2010 at 3:37 PM

A nice window has opened up through the cover and the viewer could prefer the branches as he may feel lucky to get such a nice view of the bird behind. Whilst I still enjoy viewing super clean images I am also enjoying the increasing acceptance of images with a few branches or cover arround the bird and this lovely shot very well illustrates this point of view.

Registered on November 16, 2008, 24 Posts, 486 Comments

Comment posted by Mauro Pasquero on March 14, 2010 at 3:45 PM

Very good, Richard. I like this bird in his own habitat.
Mauro

Registered on January 21, 2010, 650 Posts, 2500 Comments

Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on March 14, 2010 at 4:03 PM

Spectacular image, Richard! I love all the sticks! Usually something like that would make me want to chew nails, but in this case it clearly adds such a contrast to the immaculately detailed, gorgeous heron and shows its habitat to a "t." Impeccable work.

Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments

Comment posted by KC Choo on March 14, 2010 at 6:15 PM

I like this, too!

Registered on November 15, 2004, 519 Posts, 8278 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Saunders on March 14, 2010 at 6:23 PM

Great habitat and I do love that eye Rich.

Registered on February 6, 2008, 321 Posts, 3035 Comments

Comment posted by Sharon Hallowell on March 14, 2010 at 7:38 PM

The curtain of twigs is really nice in this. I like it. Sharon

Registered on November 1, 2003, 392 Posts, 4810 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on March 14, 2010 at 7:48 PM

This is simply gorgeous Rich. Not a thing I would change. The light on the face makes all the difference. The master at work!

Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Lotito on March 14, 2010 at 9:23 PM

Wonderful night heron shot. Sharp as a tack!

Registered on June 26, 2009, 181 Posts, 1558 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on March 14, 2010 at 9:39 PM

Beautiful workmanship, Rich! I've gotten one of these in the open several times, but never have been comfortable with the result. I suspect my usual enthusiasm yielded over processed results. I have no nits whatsoever, except the impossibly picky wish the OOF grass stem under your name wasn't there. But I fully understand your desire not to clone or patch, and more importantly to make it come out right in the camera. This is fine, fine technique at work.

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

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on March 14, 2010 at 10:25 PM

wonderful shot, Rich. Love the light here, the detail, the eye. Also like how much of the bird you got unobscured at the same time that it is typically (for the species) enmeshed in branches.

Registered on March 21, 2009, 202 Posts, 4187 Comments

Comment posted by Kirk Greene on March 14, 2010 at 10:56 PM

When I first saw the thumb I thought this was going to be too "busy". However, upon further review, the habitat adds to this particular image. Even the shadows cast on the heron don't bother me, although I could see myself over analyzing all of that if this were mine. I think this works so well because of how much the eye stands out and demands the viewer's attention.

Registered on May 12, 2004, 191 Posts, 1578 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on March 14, 2010 at 11:35 PM

Very cool image, Richard. I really like the attentive pose and the habitat here.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on March 15, 2010 at 6:48 AM

Beautiful light and detail Richard. I like the way the fine twigs surround and even cross over the bird and yet don't distract from it - the y showcase it instead.

cheers
Rob

Registered on November 8, 2003, 617 Posts, 8267 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on March 15, 2010 at 1:19 PM

Richard, I like this a whole lot. First of all, the thumbnail doesn't do it justice. The light on the head adds a lot to this. It makes me feel as if the branches are framing the birds head. Very nice as presented!

Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Harbour on March 15, 2010 at 2:27 PM

Cool shot, Richard. I like the included habitat, and the way the limbs frame the face. I enjoy the view of the eye and beak.

Registered on January 4, 2008, 113 Posts, 2416 Comments

Comment posted by Mike Danzenbaker on March 15, 2010 at 3:23 PM

Hey Richard,

Perhaps the best photo of Black-crowned Night-Heron I've seen. I love the detail and light on the bird, and the beautiful natural surroundings. I also appreciate your pp policy of not to clone. Not that this photo even tempts cloning in the first place.

Registered on December 2, 2003, 40 Posts, 791 Comments

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on March 15, 2010 at 3:31 PM

I love it Richard. Knowing how these guys like to hide in those branches, I appreciate your comp here. He has just enough open space to peak through. I like the detail as well as the light

Registered on June 30, 2009, 300 Posts, 5051 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on March 15, 2010 at 9:53 PM

Love how he's so sharp and stands out beautifully amidst the fine branches, great habitat shot Richard.

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by Terry Sohl on March 15, 2010 at 10:38 PM

Very cool Richard. I really like how the face and eye almost look highlighted.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 513 Posts, 6889 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on March 16, 2010 at 12:27 PM

Very nice Rich, the light on the head really brings out the look of this bird, I like it just as posted, it is amazing to me the balance some of these bigger birds have, well seen.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on March 17, 2010 at 7:57 PM

Richard,

Personally I think this image is spectacular, a true winner. The habitat does not distract, it enhances the heron and provides a wonderful sense of place. Your colors are completely natural looking, the details & sharpness superb.

Excellent.

Registered on June 25, 2007, 491 Posts, 12566 Comments

Comment posted by Simon Bennett on March 18, 2010 at 7:37 AM

Excellent!!

Registered on February 4, 2007, 350 Posts, 4614 Comments