GBH

Gallery: AvianPosted March 25, 2011106 views7 comments

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

This GBH was in Cuba, near Holguin, last month. The early morning light was quite low so I used a monopod with a slower than usual (for me) shutter speed (1/320 s) and a high ISO (2000). I like the effect of the morning breeze on the crown feathers and how the legs resemble the reeds.

All comments very welcome.

1D Mark IV, 400 mm f/5.6, 1.4x TC, hand held: ISO 2000, 1/320 s, f/8.0, 0 EV (Manual), 12.5 MP after cropping, usual NR, exposure adjustment, sharpening.

Comments

7 comments

Comment posted by Peter Conway on March 26, 2011 at 9:50 AM

The larger photo shows this much better, glad you provided it. I like the soft light. Often it will bother me to lose the "virtual legs" out of the frame but in this case I was ok with it.

Peter

Registered on June 25, 2007, 347 Posts, 3913 Comments

Comment posted by Hali Sowle on March 26, 2011 at 2:38 PM

Great detail and nice soft light. I like the way the dark feathers of the breeding plumage have wrapped around the neck almost making it look like it's wearing a necklace.

Registered on January 9, 2008, 36 Posts, 582 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on March 26, 2011 at 3:36 PM

Nice lighting on the face and I like the mangrove setting here Steve. I'd be inclined to include more room on the bottom if you have it.

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

Comment posted by Steve Balke on March 26, 2011 at 4:30 PM

Thank you so much, everyone: very perceptive comments as usual. I wish that I did have more room at the bottom in this shot, Nate. Unfortunately I don't....although I could synthesize more canvas I'm always reluctant to do that unless I really must.

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

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on March 26, 2011 at 6:22 PM

nice light here, Steve, and I like how the legs blend with the mangrove roots, like you said. generally I would want more room for the rest of the legs, but I think that the way they blend with the roots makes it work like this.

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

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on March 26, 2011 at 9:54 PM

Love the setting Steve, excellent job on the exposure..
The verdict's still out on the virtual feet thing, but with all those reeds FG it works.
Good work

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

Comment posted by Wayne Willison on March 27, 2011 at 6:41 PM

Too bad about not having more bottom. The water really adds interest. But a good pose and a real closeup look at this magnificent bird.

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