Bathing in Golden Pond

Gallery: AvianPosted October 22, 20163,575 views4 comments

This image was taken this past February at the rookery located on an island in Claybottom Pond at Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary, High Island, Texas. The Great Egret spent several minutes repeatedly dunking his head underneath the water then giving his feathers a good shake all the while seemingly oblivious to the presence of a nearby alligator patrolling the pond.

5 D Mark III
Canon 500 mm+ 1.4 teleconverter
f 8
1/1250 sec
iso 400
tripod

Comments and Criticisms always appreciated.

Comments

4 comments

Comment posted by Keith Bauer on October 23, 2016 at 12:03 PM

Hi Paula:

Very cool concept. Light on the pond is very nice with the warm golden glow. Details in the tail feathers look nice. The top/back of the bird looks to be completely blown. Maybe you can recover it with LR or Camera RAW using the White or Highlights sliders to try to target those areas in the image. Certainly worth a try.

Registered on November 20, 2003, 458 Posts, 4836 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on October 23, 2016 at 3:59 PM

I totally agree with Keith. A lovely picture that will move up a step if you can find some highlights in the back. cool

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

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on October 23, 2016 at 5:13 PM

Wonderful action, Paula. It's too bad the lower half of the Egret was in the shade and upper half in the sun as it makes it difficult to expose properly. The bright whites look blown in this image with no detail in them. You didn't say, but if you were shooting in RAW you might be able to bring them down enough to recover a bit of detail. I do love the pose and setting.

devil

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

Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on October 24, 2016 at 10:58 AM

Well seen and captured. But I agree with Keith...

Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments