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WC#452 Offshore
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WC#452 Offshore

by Mia McPherson

Gallery: Weekly ChallengePosted October 3, 2010345 views6 comments
Reddish Egret
Egretta rufescens

You knew I'd have to post a bird, right Stan? :wink:

I was sitting waist deep in the refreshing water of a tidal lagoon on the Gulf of Mexico in Florida when I created this photo, in fact when I think about a great many of my Florida wading & shorebird images were taken while I was in the water. Maybe I am part mermaid :smile:

Several times this reddish egret was so intent on hunting that I thought it was going to run me over and knock me & my gear into the drink.

The sand dune in the background was sloped the way you see it here, the dune slopes down towards the beach out of the right side of the frame.

D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/1000, ISO 200, 70-300mm VR at 155mm, natural light, 77% of the original image. Larger version posted for evaluation of sharpness & detail.

As always, I sincerely appreciate your comment & critiques. Thanks for looking.

Comments

6 comments
Comment posted by David Bostedo on October 3, 2010 at 2:08 PM
Hey Mia - I really like this pose and how it seems like preparation for a stab at the water. I like the recognizable BG here too with this DOF choice. I do think some added contrast and a mid-tone contrast enhancement would help a lot.
Registered on May 5, 2006, 178 Posts, 2224 Comments
Comment posted by Mauro Pasquero on October 3, 2010 at 2:13 PM
Mia...I was sure you would have posted a bird !!!
A very nice one, with your usual soft tones, perfect pose and axposure.
Very accurate presentation as well.
Cheers.
Mauro
Registered on January 21, 2010, 650 Posts, 2500 Comments
Comment posted by Gary Minish on October 3, 2010 at 7:56 PM
Great shot, Mia! Exposure and focus are excellent. Thank you for including the large version. I has much more 'presence', very much like being there.
Registered on February 4, 2006, 625 Posts, 3583 Comments
Comment posted by cher richardson on October 4, 2010 at 6:56 PM
Great timing , detail and sharpness. Very nicely done.cher..
Registered on September 27, 2010, 0 Posts, 6 Comments
Comment posted by Stan Rose on October 5, 2010 at 11:32 AM
Pretty cool, although id try cloning out the distracting bird and show more of the nice dune in the bg :wink:
Seriously, the bird is awesome; personally i like this more with the grasses cropped out or minimized, im not real crazy about the bokeh there. :toast:
Registered on September 15, 2005, 836 Posts, 17099 Comments
Comment posted by Howard Cheek on December 12, 2010 at 7:31 AM
Personally I like the BG so well seen..It gives a strong sense of the environment/natural habitat, & adds greatly to this image IMO.
Kinda neat with this relatively large & graceful bird tip-toeing right at the waters surface too :smile:
Well done Mia :toast:
Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments