Great Egrets

Gallery: AvianPosted September 17, 2010503 views22 comments

This was taken early in the breeding season. They had just started building the nest site. Like always, from truck window with bean bag. Processed in Nikon Capture & Photoshop CS.
Late afternoon, heavy overcast skies.

Full EXIF Info
Date/Time: March 20 @ 4:03pm
Model NIKON D200
Flash Used Never
Focal Length 850 mm (Nikon 500mm VRII + Nikon TC17EII)
Exposure Time 1/200 sec
Aperture f/6.7
ISO Equivalent 280
Exposure Bias -1/3
Metering Mode matrix
Raw
Exposure Program aperture priority

Comments

22 comments

Comment posted by antino cervigni on September 17, 2010 at 12:28 PM

Excellent work with impressive lighting and details

Registered on April 17, 2010, 70 Posts, 202 Comments

Comment posted by Mauro Pasquero on September 17, 2010 at 12:50 PM

Better and better, Ronnie

Crazy exposure !!!
Mauro

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

Comment posted by Joel DeYoung on September 17, 2010 at 12:50 PM

Mmmmmm.... Gorgeous. Excellent details and lighting. Well done.

Registered on July 12, 2009, 92 Posts, 1074 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Balke on September 17, 2010 at 1:32 PM

The exposure is great and the fine lace-like vegetation matches perfectly to the fine feather structure in the egrets. Two very beautiful specimens expertly captured in this image, Ronnie.

Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on September 17, 2010 at 1:53 PM

Superb, Ronnie! The flat light gives it an almost "Audubon" appearance. Lovely!

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

Comment posted by Buck Ward on September 17, 2010 at 3:16 PM

Beautiful in every way. Superb.

Registered on December 8, 2003, 96 Posts, 1917 Comments

Comment posted by Doug Gilham on September 17, 2010 at 5:31 PM

Very nice Ronnie. I love the feel to this, sharpness and dof are perfect, the colors from the foliage and the bg are complimentary to the egrets. Well done.

Registered on September 20, 2009, 77 Posts, 489 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on September 17, 2010 at 5:37 PM

Super IQ again Ronnie. Love the light and the birds. My only very small nit, is the very BLHC. The blur there just seems out of place. My eye want to see sharper cypress leaves like are present around the rest of the frame. Again, very small nit on a very pleasing and well executed image.

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

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on September 17, 2010 at 5:41 PM

another awesome shot, Ronnie. great poses, setting, comp.

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

Comment posted by Ronnie Gaubert on September 17, 2010 at 6:37 PM

In response to Ron's comment about the small are of blur in the lower left corner of the image. That area is Spanish Moss on a closer tree about 15 feet in front of the egrets. Moss is a constant problem in the swamps of South Louisiana especially when the wind is blowing. Those shooting in cattails with wind have the same problem.
Ronnie

Registered on November 1, 2003, 810 Posts, 3495 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on September 17, 2010 at 7:01 PM

Another excellent demonstration of the value of soft light. I've never seen this species with this green - very interesting to see.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments

Comment posted by Sharon Hallowell on September 17, 2010 at 7:56 PM

Pretty light and wonderful detail in both birds and habitat. Really nice as always! Sharon

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

Comment posted by Angela McCain on September 17, 2010 at 8:02 PM

I can always tell when it is your's. Lovely image with great detail. Framing of the birds with the BG foliage works very well. Breeding plumage on these birds is magnificent. Thank you for sharing.

Registered on April 19, 2009, 367 Posts, 3589 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Willison on September 17, 2010 at 8:12 PM

Exquisite. Goes to show you don't need flash to do fine work on birds. Love the inclusion of the Spanish Moss here.

Registered on April 10, 2009, 292 Posts, 3967 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on September 17, 2010 at 9:04 PM

A very pretty shot Ronnie, I agree with Ron about the area in the lower left but it's minor.

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

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on September 18, 2010 at 12:02 AM

Love the comp and the finery is amazing

cheers
Rob

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

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on September 18, 2010 at 7:54 AM

Exquisite ! Very-very artistic!
Jagdeep Rajput

Registered on April 29, 2008, 686 Posts, 2857 Comments

Comment posted by Monica Siri on September 18, 2010 at 12:24 PM

Ronnie,
a very appealing image. I like every aspect here. Congrats.

Registered on September 20, 2009, 132 Posts, 3764 Comments

Comment posted by wade pettitt on September 18, 2010 at 3:23 PM

Ronnie, this is beautiful. I love the green under there eyes and how it matches nicely with the green foliage. Excellent photo, Well done!!

Registered on May 6, 2009, 184 Posts, 471 Comments

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on September 19, 2010 at 8:02 AM

The overcast light you had worked wonderfully Ronnie. Beautiful natural colors, poses and setting. Love the green lores of their breeding plumage and this shows that very well. I can very much relate to the spanish moss, shooting in the canopy in Florida always presented that problem for me.

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

Comment posted by Don Mc Donald on September 19, 2010 at 8:50 AM

Ronnie, absolutly spectacular, without a doubt one of the best egret shots I have ever seen, the lighting, the birds color, the hanging feathers, it just all works together.

Registered on December 3, 2009, 25 Posts, 67 Comments

Comment posted by cher richardson on September 27, 2010 at 6:45 PM

Can't get any better than this.cher..

Registered on September 27, 2010, 0 Posts, 6 Comments