Great Blue

Gallery: AvianPosted January 6, 201383 views8 comments

Taken on a rocky shoal in October on the St. Lawrence River near my home. I'm not sure what the bird was doing - just being rude?

Nikon D300; 500mm; f7.1 @1/1250th; ISO 320; -0.3 EV; HH from boat.

All comments and suggestions most welcome.

Comments

8 comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on January 6, 2013 at 1:37 PM

It looks as if it was getting ready to move. Maybe just a "Look out, here I come!" I like the massive rocks, the detail on the bird and the good BG. The upper BG looks like boat docks. I would be tempted to clone them out.

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

Comment posted by Patrick O'Healy on January 6, 2013 at 3:59 PM

Like the shot. Is GBH behavior always understandable? The humor is nice. Yesterday I came around a Ben in the path and found one 15' in front of me. We walked together for ten minutes as long as I came no closer. Finally walkers from the other direction created a squeeze and it flew off.

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

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on January 6, 2013 at 4:46 PM

Looks as if he may be panting, which birds do to cool off. Was it hot out?

I like this image a lot - really sweet light, detail good pose and that lichen on the rock adds nice, complimentary colour.
Very well-done!

Sandy

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

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on January 6, 2013 at 7:28 PM

An appealing image for me, Tom. The huge rocks are great in the setting and interesting pose with the open beak and foot up, I'm wondering if you selectively lightened the bird a little...

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

Comment posted by John Neukirch on January 6, 2013 at 7:34 PM

Certainly one of the coolest GBH images I've seen posted here on NPN. Set against the magnificent rock BG just adds to an already beautiful subject capture.

Registered on July 9, 2012, 207 Posts, 1476 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on January 6, 2013 at 7:49 PM

Cool composition, Tom. I really like the lines formed by the rocks and how they work with the lines of the Heron.

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

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on January 6, 2013 at 9:36 PM

I like the colors and textures in this a lot.

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

Comment posted by Tom Lusk on January 6, 2013 at 10:17 PM

Thanks for the encouragement, everybody.
Phil : I'll see what I can do.
Ron: I didn't do any selective lightening. I'm not sure I could if I tried. My processing usually is limited to levels, brightness/contrast, cropping, USM and noise reduction. I haven't learned masking and layers and all that good stuff. Maybe some day...

Registered on September 17, 2005, 312 Posts, 600 Comments