In my previous post I thought that the bittern was about to leave my “killing” zone, for want of a phrase. I believe this is the next I took, as it suddenly turned around and started to walk straight towards me, head down foraging, all of a sudden it adopted this pose. It either suddenly became aware of the car, catching possibly its own reflection or it was in response to a harrier which was quartering overhead.
80-400 @ 250mm, 1/125 @ f8, tripod mounted, from car, electrical cable release used. Full frame.
There has been some comments made about composition, the thing Is, that this bird was on the move and I didn’t know what was going to happen compositionally next, the next few shots will I hope illustrate this point. Plus the excitement was subsiding just a bit by now.
Hi Ray I like this one the most from the ones that you have posted previously, I find the pose particularly striking.
Phil.
Posted by Cliff Young on January 9, 2009 at 10:10 AM
Ray, I agree with Phil andprefer this shot over the others posted. Being picky, maybe just a little more room to the top and right would have made it even better but as you said the bird was on the move ................ Cliff
Posted by Mark Sisson on January 9, 2009 at 11:10 AM
The best by some way in my view - great light and pose.
Posted by Barry Southon on January 9, 2009 at 11:54 AM
Ray
This is a great photograph of an elusive species at least for me. I like it as is. Well captured.
Barry
Posted by Anthony House on January 9, 2009 at 12:10 PM
Nice to see one out in the open, like the pose too. Would have been nice for the head to be parallel to you with a nice bit of catchlight in the eye, but you can't have everything...
I have to make an apology to you, re the next three images in the series, they are all stand alone images, but they are looking straight down the bill, so no catch light either. What I’ll do tho’, is find a shot with the head in profile and if necessary, I’ll add a catch light.
Let me know what you think of No. 2 & 3 of the ones I’ll be posting next. I think they illustrate that rules are to be broken sometimes.
I have taken on board everyone’s suggestions re composition, but my framing is deliberate, and I posted the image as taken. If you look the birds neck is extended vertically, and the body is central in the frame, this allowed me to cover a head turn whether it is to the left or the right. I did consider cropping this shot and my previous ones, but I decided against it, in order to show an aspect of how I work from a vehicle. Following on from this, the rest of the shots will also be uncropped.
Discussion
12 replies80-400 @ 250mm, 1/125 @ f8, tripod mounted, from car, electrical cable release used. Full frame.
There has been some comments made about composition, the thing Is, that this bird was on the move and I didn’t know what was going to happen compositionally next, the next few shots will I hope illustrate this point. Plus the excitement was subsiding just a bit by now.
Phil.
Mark
This is a great photograph of an elusive species at least for me. I like it as is. Well captured.
Barry
Nice image..
I have to make an apology to you, re the next three images in the series, they are all stand alone images, but they are looking straight down the bill, so no catch light either. What I’ll do tho’, is find a shot with the head in profile and if necessary, I’ll add a catch light.
Let me know what you think of No. 2 & 3 of the ones I’ll be posting next. I think they illustrate that rules are to be broken sometimes.
I have taken on board everyone’s suggestions re composition, but my framing is deliberate, and I posted the image as taken. If you look the birds neck is extended vertically, and the body is central in the frame, this allowed me to cover a head turn whether it is to the left or the right. I did consider cropping this shot and my previous ones, but I decided against it, in order to show an aspect of how I work from a vehicle. Following on from this, the rest of the shots will also be uncropped.
Lee
Danny