Blue Heron in Flight

[Brownbear]

C&C truly appreciated.

Processed in LR, leaving the WB as shot. I sharpened (25%) and added clarity (20%) to just the heron, and moved the black and white points just a little to my taste... The first heron seems a little crooked?

[Rita]

Hi Christina, I really like both of these shots but I particularly like the second one. In the second one the bird looks very aerodynamic and on a mission.
I have just started playing around with bird pics and I can hardly wait to get to the point of taking shots like these.

[AndrewMcD]

To my eye the sharpening appears just right as the bird looks beautifully in focus. I am amazed at how white the face and neck appear, almost as though they are being illuminated. Is that natural or a result of how you adjusted the white point? Either way it makes a fine image. I am so impressed with images like this. I finally managed to get a few shots at an eagle this weekend that are the best I've managed with BIF; and that's to say you can at least identify some detail in the bird.I still, however, had to crop rather heavily.What an extraordinarily difficult discipline shooting birds on the wing is! Well done on your part.
Andrew

[geoz]

Hi Christina, I agree with Rita and Andrew above. Well done. The first one looks a bit crooked because the background is at a diagonal which you don't expect. But the detail in the heron is what makes the picture Don't know if rotating it so the background is more horizontal would have a different effect.
George

[NorthernFocus]

Hi, Christina. Nicely exposed/processed shots. The first one is framed a bit tight. If it is a crop you may consider leaving a bit more room in the frame. If you can apply contrast selectively to the bird in the first shot it might bring out even more detail on the wings. Nice shooting!

[nimitzbenedicto]

leaving the WB as shot.

Hi Christina,

Would this WB be automatic.

Thanks

[jcuknz]

A Couple of good ones Christina

[Wavelength]

Very nice images

[terrib]

Hi Christina,

I also like the second shot the best. I think the head is in sharper focus in that one and I like the "pose" better. Nice work!

[Brownbear]

Thank you to everyone for your comments. Truly appreciated.

Herons are a lot easier to photograph in flight in Mexico because the light is better and they are more easily found, so it is also easier to get closer to them. (as compared to Vancouver)

Rita... Thank you. For birds in flight for me, it has been just tons of practice and heeding the advice of everyone on this forum. And getting close and finding better light.

Andrew... I think it is just the sunlight. I moved the white point in Lightroom back to zero to see if it made much of a difference and it didn't. Whereas if I move the black point slider the herons legs go black so that was good for me to see. When I clicked on the white bit of the heron to set the WB it made the image too blue, and none of my other WB tries seemed right so I left it as is.

George... Yes, I likely contorted myself in some awkward position in order to capture the heron... I've straightened it in the version below.

Dan.... Thank you for advising. Yes, I cropped the centered photo to place the intersection of the lines for the rule of thirds on the herons eye at the expense of room for the bird to move into... Thank you for the tip about selective contrast. I managed quite a few heron shots so your advice is going to come in very handy.

Nandakumar... WB auto but a warmer in camera setting to reflect the warmer early morning light.

And in looking at these again, I too prefer the 2nd image... I was likely swayed by the big wings in the first shot.

Dan here is my edit...

[jprzybyla]

Good job, now you are using the light. Nice color, good detail. What EXIF data did you capture these with?

[Brownbear]

Thank you Joe...

Yes, in Mexico it was a lot easier to use the light and I think for my future bird forays in Vancouver I will shoot later in the day when the light is better, or just on sunny days for BIF.

SS 2500 F8 ISO 1000 Spot metered off of the grey bit on top of the herons head. No exposure compensation.

Good job, now you are using the light. Nice color, good detail. What EXIF data did you capture these with?

[Shadowman]

Very nice. The first heron looks like its gaining elevation.

[NorthernFocus]

IMO the recropped version is an impovement. It still complies with the rule of thirds. The eye is still along the upper third line albeit not at the intersection of the vertical. Nice job on these.

[Dave Humphries]

Very nice shots Christina

[Cantab]

Yes, in Mexico it was a lot easier to use the light and I think for my future bird forays in Vancouver I will shoot later in the day when the light is better, or just on sunny days for BIF.

Christina, one of the things that attracted me to both these photos was the slightly warm colour caused by the photos being taken early, or latish, in the day. Don't give up on BIF early in the day!

[Brownbear]

Hi Bruce,

Good point. Thank you for sharing. Of course, no matter what I say at the time (as logical as it may be) I will keep trying.

Thank you to everyone for your comments and advice. Truly appreciated.

Christina, one of the things that attracted me to both these photos was the slightly warm colour caused by the photos being taken early, or latish, in the day. Don't give up on BIF early in the day!

[Otavio]

Good job, now you are using the light. Nice color, good detail. What EXIF data did you capture these with?

I reinforce Joe's words, Christina. Surely one of your best threads, imho. well done.

[Brownbear]

Thank you Octavio... Okay, I will follow the light from this day forward...

I reinforce Joe's words, Christina. Surely one of your best threads, imho. well done.

[FrankMi]

Hi Christina! Another aspect of warm lighting you may want to keep in the back of your mind as you shoot is that warm colors appear to come out of the frame towards you. Cool colors recede. If you want the subject to stand out a bit from the background, a hint of warm color can help.