Great Blue Heron

Gallery: AvianPosted October 29, 20171,037 views6 comments

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

Gila River Tribal Lands, AZ
Date: February 18, 2016, 9:24 am
Equipment: Nikon D7200, AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED @ 200mm, tripod with ball head
Exposure: ISO 800, Aperture priority matrix metered, 1/1250th @ f/7.1, -2/3rd ec
Raw, PS CC 2017 on Mac, full frame

I went with a short 200mm for this composition so I could include the complete tangle of gray branches.

Honest critiques requested; all comments appreciated. If possible please view the large version before commenting.

Comments

6 comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on October 29, 2017 at 1:15 PM

This looks like something from my neck of the woods, Richard. It really has an excellent gray winter day feel to it. I like the framing and think you were wise to include the entire tangle of brush. Well done.

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

Comment posted by David Schoen on October 29, 2017 at 3:59 PM

I had the same thought as Dennis about this being taken in the Pacific Northwest. Looks like a winter day just around the block from me. The muted colors in this are really good. The heron fits in really well with the foreground and perch and the brown background allows the bird to pop in the picture. Good work!

Registered on November 6, 2006, 1213 Posts, 4587 Comments

Comment posted by Barbara Graham on October 29, 2017 at 6:24 PM

I really like that you included the complete tangle of gray branches. The light gray of the branches against the dark gray of the Great Blue Heron against the brown reeds makes this image very special.

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

Comment posted by Bill Leggett on October 29, 2017 at 8:46 PM

Rich, I completely agree with your choice of framing, also the aperture to get the right focus. Longer glass would have awkwardly chopped away at the tangle, which is essential to show environment. The soft light is nice, and the larger view really shows the eye and the bird in good focus. Having been shot in February I'd say the tangle was a popular spot for nest material. This is excellent and you should be proud to have this in your files.

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

Comment posted by Ed Williams on October 30, 2017 at 3:55 PM

Really nice detail and light Richard. The scene is a bit busy, but it is such a strong habitat shot, and it was wise to get the whole dead bush in the frame on this..

Registered on December 28, 2010, 636 Posts, 3499 Comments

Comment posted by Ajit Huilgol on November 1, 2017 at 1:00 AM

You are quite right, Richard. The larger image is the one to see to get the full impact of this beautifully composed image.

Registered on December 19, 2008, 302 Posts, 2055 Comments