Great Blue Heron

[Brownbear]

Time to share some bird images....

Great Blue Heron Portraits

SS 1/1000 f6.7 ISO 800 Focal length 500 mm (300 mm lens & 1.7 extender)

#1



#2


#3
Blue Heron in flight... An image from last year that I love but somehow overlooked. The bird is carrying a branch to a treetop where a nest is being built.

SS 1/1600 f 7.1 ISO 200 Focal Length 300 mm



I'd be most appreciative of feedback on the framing of the portrait images. Something about this bird close-up is hard to frame. Thank you.

[Shadowman]

Nice series, especially the close up in the first image.

[bnnrcn]

I like them all Christina. IMO blue BG looks better than the white one, white BG looks a bit too bright.

[chauncey]

Christina...you joined us on 28th July 2011 barely knowing how to take a picture...to describe
your improvement is beyond my language skills. Those are superlative.
Binnur has a good point regarding the white background though.

[DonnaK]

Very nice work, Christina. All three are excellent. Okay, I'll be a little different on the third one. I think the brighter background really makes the feather details pop and I understand why you like it. This is just my humble opinion.

[Stagecoach]

As always Christina a wonderful series.

I understand your 'questioning' regarding the framing of the portraits but their shape does not assist in the choice of options. No 1 works better for me, now is that because the eye is basically on the 1/3 rds?

No 3, a great action capture and the white background compliments it well.

Grahame

[flashback]

Time to share some bird images....

Great Blue Heron Portraits

SS 1/1000 f6.7 ISO 800 Focal length 500 mm (300 mm lens & 1.7 extender)

#1

[URL=http://s1098.photobucket.com/user/ChristinaStobbs/media/cambridge%202015/heron%20portrait%20cc%20353.jpg.html][IMG]



I'd be most appreciative of feedback on the framing of the portrait images. Something about this bird close-up is hard to frame. Thank you.

This one is excellent! Cropped, lit and exposed (IMHO) perfectly. As the risk of overusing this phrase, it looks like a Japanese Water Color (or equally, an Audubon Print). This is an image that would look hanging on a wall as a rather large print. And while some may think it would be better flying into the frame, this image simply works, as is. Strong work.

Addendum - this REALLY needs to be viewed in lightbox at full magnification!

[NorthernFocus]

You killed the portraits here, Christina. Nicely done. On no.2 maybe try cropping a bit from the right.

I'm conflicted on the flight shot. Nice techs. Great content with the branch in the beak which makes up for the rearward angle. Viewed against that BG makes it kind of artsy. The position is a bit awkward with the wing angles. Interesting but I just can't love it. Though had I shot it I probably would

[FootLoose]

I like the 3rd shot very much, Christina. I reminds of the kind of images the artists and biologists produced when the Europeans first started investigating this place.

I like the first one, too. The backlighting on the left makes this shot. I think the eye could stand a bit more sharpening, though.

[Brownbear]

Thank you so much to everyone, as always the feedback is very helpful and appreciated. It is also nice to hear preferences as it helps me see what others like.

Binnur... Thanks for letting me know that you think the white is too bright. I like white backgrounds but perhaps it is a tad too bright. I will revisit and edit on my own time but I will leave the original up for others to see, decide and learn from. Perhaps white is just too white!

Grahame... They are just funny birds to frame close-up in portraits. In a closer shot that I have, I placed the eye on the inner third while photographing it, but then the beak extends all the way almost to the end of the frame or the top of the frame, or sometimes out of the frame, and then there is all this extra space above and beyond. Perhaps the 1st image works best because its long neck is retracted. I was of the mind that there is something to be learned about portraiture here. And yes, cropping the 2nd at the rear looks good, but I couldn't see it when I tried it.

Jack... Thank you so much. This is the 2nd time you've mentioned Japanese watercolours so perhaps this is a style that fits me that i should explore. I'm going to borrow a book from a library and learn more about it.

Dan... Thank you. Truly appreciated. I appreciate your honesty. I understand and know what your saying is true, but I still like this image. Maybe it is because I know the treetop is there, or maybe it is just because it is a little artsy. Anyhow this Spring the Herons will be nesting again so I will be visiting again and try for a similar image, but improved to share with you one day. There is usually one Eagle that hangs around after eggs are laid, so double photo opportunities.

John and Donna... Thank you so much. Truly appreciated!

Chauncey... I did have a few good pics prior to then but not because I knew anything about how my camera operated. The latter was a total mystery that likely would've remained a mystery forever. At the time I was living in a very small town in Mexico and questions came up that no one in town could answer in English, or likely even in Spanish, hence I started looking things up on the internet and found this forum. It is because the members of Cambridge were especially kind and thoughtful when answering questions, providing advice and feedback, directing me to learn about this and that and more, is the reason I persisted and kept trying. And I still have so much to learn. When I retire say in 15 years time, I hope to still be a member of this forum and to be able answer the questions of others with as much knowledge, patience and grace as I was shown.

Thank you.

[Brownbear]

Thank you, Greg. Interesting thought but I somehow I doubt you were around.

I promise to sharpen the eye in it's final rendition. It's a keeper for me. Truly appreciated.

I like the 3rd shot very much, Christina. I reminds of the kind of images the artists and biologists produced when the Europeans first started investigating this place.

I like the first one, too. The backlighting on the left makes this shot. I think the eye could stand a bit more sharpening, though.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Christina,

If I were cropping the portraits (both 1200 x 800 in LyteBox as posted);
#1: crop 80px off top edge; e.g. when I measure my trial crop, it becomes 1200 x 720
#2: crop 70px off top edge and 20 px off right, also cloning out the white fluff (a cloud behind perhaps?); e.g. it becomes 1180 x 730

Not huge differences - and I wouldn't have even mentioned them had you not specifically asked.

I find Herons difficult to frame because those 'fringe-y bits' on head and chest, have a habit of blowing in the wind and spoiling a composition just as the shutter clicks

[ShaneS]

Beautiful work Christina...especially the 3rd! I would be curious to see the look of a toned down background but think what you have shown here is lovely. Have you tried to print any of your work yet? If not, this would be one to try

[selig1656]

Great series, pic was is a very fine portrait and #3 is simply a beautiful piece of art.

[Brownbear]

Thank you to Dave, Shane and Raymond

Dave, your cropping suggestions are very much appreciated, and the advice is much needed. I still have cropping challenges especially with this particular bird. This one was on the move (albeit slowly) but I like the wispy little fringy feathers, more so the ones on the top of their heads. I will try a crop tomorrow and post.

Shane... I will post a version with a toned down white background tomorrow. I send everything out to be printed. I have a feeling that you're trying to let me know that the white might be too bright to print?

[DEAN01]

Christina,
Number 3 is a winner. The tonal range within the bird is perfect with the white background.

[ied]

Again- great captures Christine. I do prefer #1 but would be elated with any one of these.
I notice a faint blotch of cloud near the end of the beak and maybe that's OK being that there
are clouds on the lower right side.
Irene
I

[ShaneS]

Shane... I will post a version with a toned down white background tomorrow. I send everything out to be printed. I have a feeling that you're trying to let me know that the white might be too bright to print?

Not at all Christina, I am not experienced enough in printing to know if it is too bright...I will be interested to hear how it turns out as it will be a learning experience for me as well

[Dave Humphries]

I will post a version with a toned down white background tomorrow. I send everything out to be printed. I have a feeling that you're trying to let me know that the white might be too bright to print?

I don't print often, but surely, on paper, the peak white (of sky) will just be an area of no ink/pigment and as print is a reflective medium, I'd have expected that to be less of an issue (than when viewed on screen)?

So when viewing a print, surely the eye will just accept the sky and concentrate on the subject. If you tone it down, won't that result in a 'veil of grey' over the entire image and be worse?
Especially as this shot is almost monochromatic over most of its area.

Since you do print regularly, I may learn something from your answers to my questions.

I never said, but the third is 'special', well done, I can see how difficult the light was.

[JamesScott86]

Excellent captures - well taken.