Not sure about the type but I think this is the Common Egret found in India. Shot in the suburbs of Kolkata ( Calcutta ) India. Thanks for looking and as always your C&C highly appreciated.
Posted by Lance Burch on February 12, 2011 at 10:59 AM
I like 2 best. 1 & 3 look a little underexposed.
Posted by Paul Wegemann on February 12, 2011 at 12:49 PM
I really like #2, Soubhik. I think perhaps a B&W or more artistic interpretation (think Orton) might enhance it nicely.
Posted by Morris McClung on February 12, 2011 at 12:58 PM
I agree you might bring up the exposure on #1 just a touch and a little more than a touch on #3. But your poses you caught are all really good, and #2 does stand out as the best of the bunch.
Posted by Stan Rose on February 12, 2011 at 2:45 PM
I really like #3--a little brighter and it will be great! Nice set, Soubhik.
Posted by John Mumaw on February 12, 2011 at 4:04 PM
A fine series, Soubhik! Looks like you were able to get real close to them, too.
I agree with setting the white point higher on #'s 1 & 3. Much better than if you had 'blown out' those whites, which can be easy to do. I've really enjoyed your images from India!
Posted by Bill Speaks on February 12, 2011 at 7:45 PM
I like #1 and #2 a lot. Good placement of the bird within the frame. I took the liberty of doing a medium crop on #2 as shown. I'm partial to head shots of birds, so if your file size permits, a even tighter crop on #2 might be worth trying.
A tip for the future: if you are around birds that are within 10-15 feet, try using an extension tube. Combined with a wide aperture, it can 'clean up' the background by throwing it out of focus.
Tried to set the white point higher a bit in #3 but the white at the back is getting blown out I think as John mentioned , any suggestions on this ?
Posted by John Mumaw on February 13, 2011 at 4:29 PM
I think this makes a huge improvement, Soubhik!
Unless you're familiar with masking your images for more targeted adjustments in regard to making these types of corrections, then you'll probably just have to back off a bit to keep that area in #3 from 'blowing out'.
Posted by Bob Falcone on February 14, 2011 at 12:14 AM
Nice series. I first thought that #2 was too "hot", but after looking at the others, I think its exposure was the most correct. I do like what you did with the re-editing of #'s 1 and 3. Must be nice to be able to get so close!
Discussion
14 repliesI agree with setting the white point higher on #'s 1 & 3. Much better than if you had 'blown out' those whites, which can be easy to do. I've really enjoyed your images from India!
A tip for the future: if you are around birds that are within 10-15 feet, try using an extension tube. Combined with a wide aperture, it can 'clean up' the background by throwing it out of focus.
Here is a shot of a Black Crown Night Heron taken with an extension tube http://www.speaksimages.com/Wildlife/Birds/Egret/2493031_7Y5Lm#1185458269_sakzH-A-LB
The water was full of feathers that were very distracting even using a wide aperture. The tube plus a tight crop really saved the photo.
Bill Brennan
Unless you're familiar with masking your images for more targeted adjustments in regard to making these types of corrections, then you'll probably just have to back off a bit to keep that area in #3 from 'blowing out'.