Tricolored Herons

Gallery: AvianPosted May 6, 2012213 views11 comments

I posted this one and then realized the bird needed to be brightened up a little so deleted and am now reposting.

Canon EOS 7D
EF-S55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS @171mm
5/4/2012 – 5:10:00 PM
1/250 sec
Manual
f/6.3
ISO 400
Handheld
Rookery at St. Augustine Alligator Farm
Raw, LR3, CS5, 62% of FF, compression quality on larger version 74%

I'm trying very hard to get a decent image of what's happening in the nests. This is the best I have up to now.

For this image to me the interaction is what was important, and a tight, centered crop seemed appropriate to me because of the focus on the interaction. Does this crop work for you?

Is this too bright, or not bright enough?

I tried not doing any noise removal on this one. Does it need NR in the background, do you think?

Comments, opinions and suggestions on the above or anything else would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Comments

11 comments

Comment posted by Peter Cross on May 6, 2012 at 1:31 AM

Works fine for me Barbara. I think the centered comp is great for the reason you stated. The brightness is just about right as the birds are in the shade and I expect them to be somewhat darker. I really like the way the mouths of the adult and chick are both bathed in light. Kind of reinforces what is going on here - feeding the young. But I can't figure out exactly how that lighting happened. Regardless, I like the image and think you did quite well with it.

Registered on April 3, 2010, 271 Posts, 1342 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on May 6, 2012 at 1:33 AM

Really nice interaction here! Love the chicks, crazy "hair" and little stubby wing.
Nice detail on mom.
Tough exposure with a dark bird and bright BG - you did well here.
I'd darken the bright BG a bit , but the birds look fine to me as does the NR (or lack of)
Nice catch!
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Barbara Graham on May 6, 2012 at 1:34 AM

Thank you for the feedback, Peter and Sandy. Peter, the only thing I can figure out about that lighting is the position of the sun being lower in the sky, maybe, and kind of coming in sideways? But there's light on top of the bird, too, so it is kind of a mystery.

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

Comment posted by Angela McCain on May 6, 2012 at 7:40 AM

Really cute interaction. Nice to see the new generation of birds coming along. I might loosen the overall crop just a touch.

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

Comment posted by John Tobias on May 6, 2012 at 8:48 AM

I like the feeding behavior you caught in this photo! Not sure what I could suggest regarding your light situation. To me you have done well. I do think there is a very slight magenta cast, but maybe that is just how these birds look. Don't see them around here. Thanks for sharing.

Registered on September 12, 2009, 2120 Posts, 6455 Comments

Comment posted by Charles Gangas on May 6, 2012 at 9:53 AM

Barbara it looks to me as though some side lighting diffused through the trees to land on the back of the mom and the beaks of both her and the feeding chick. I think you handled the light well and the colors look fine to my eye. I would open the comp up on the top just a tad if you have the pixels. Very nice capture!

Registered on August 12, 2009, 544 Posts, 2414 Comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on May 6, 2012 at 10:51 AM

A great look a the nest and these little birds

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by Patrick O'Healy on May 6, 2012 at 2:41 PM

Barbara,
You are far too critical of yourself. Love this shot. The interaction is wonderful, and you have certainly demonstrated what is happening in the nest. The action is so significant that I had to go back and look at the background. Good work!

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

Comment posted by Bill Leggett on May 6, 2012 at 4:20 PM

Well done. A species that I've never seen with chicks. I've seen Great Egrets and usually they are not this visible.

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

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on May 7, 2012 at 7:18 AM

A great shot Barbara. I too would bring down the brightest greens in the BG a bit.

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

Comment posted by Verdon on May 7, 2012 at 10:53 PM

What a cute picture what show a lot how gentle motherhood can be, wish to have shot like this in my gallery

Registered on June 10, 2011, 147 Posts, 1444 Comments