The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Snowy Egret
Pantanal, Brazil
There are hundreds of new birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects here… what an phenomenal paradise for photographers!
Specific Feedback
Im on a cheap replacement computer with a horrible screen, so I hope this image turns out ok. Its one that required only very minimal editing. Funny that this first bird post is one of a very common US bird too.
I de-saturated the green BG to emphasize the egret and leave only the yellow for contrast, with the usual sharpening and minor de-noise, and a levels adjustment to the BG to dampen it.
Unfortunately, my little Asus travel laptop with the excellent OLED screen got swiped my first day here. The thief was able to hack into the computer despite it being locked and has attempted, so far, to charge/withdraw over $18,000 worth of stuff in a few days. Grrrrrrrr.
Kudos to Chase Bank for intercepting every attempt.
Very irksome and inconvenient, but insurance will cover a newer model when I get home. Thankfully, I was in about the only place at the start of the tour where I could grab a cheap replacement. Otherwise, I would have been cooked.
Technical Details
8/18/2024
Sony A1
200-600 @500
F10
1/1500
ISO 500
Spot metering
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
I am very sorry to hear about your problems with a #!*&% (can’t type what I really want to). Happy to hear that the bank is catching things before further damage can be done. We recently were hacked and had to spend a lot of time and effort to avoid serious damage. On the bright side: not only did the image turn out “ok”, it turned out beautifully. What a pose and the water drops add so much. Looking forward to more superb images from the Pantanal (is there a fire there-thought I heard about one in the Pantanal). Finally, interesting title considering what you are going through with having to protect your assets.
Sandy, so sorry to hear your “banking” problems and computer hacker situation. I’m glad you were able to get in touch with the banks so quickly to start getting things back under control. Evil people deserve all of the evil they bring upon themselves.
It looks like other than computer troubles, you’ve been making the best of your situation. This is a great action shot of the egret. Nice lighting, great handle on the whites, and nice BG. It works really well from my perspective.
Hope they get the banking situation under control ASAP.
Wonderful capture (glad you still have your good camera rig – and smart phones!) with no nits on the processing – the whites are just right.
What a total bummer about the laptop and the deeper-level theft. You would think the human race had reached a point where people could live their lives without harming others. Have we really evolved past the level of ants?
What a bummer about your laptop. Disconcerting to realize our “safeguards” aren’t all that safe. But, a beautiful flight shot. Great pose and detail. The whites against the black background makes for a stunning image. Well done!.
Wonderful flight angle, Sandy and the processing looks fine. Unfortunately, we haven’t evolved past the dinosaurs. My last trip to Costa Rica, I had my credit card scanned and compromised by using a pay at the table system in the Seatac airport on the way out. It was caught in minutes and we canceled the card. Luckily almost everything was paid for and I had an alternate card-just in case.
Bummer about your dealing with the bad guys. Hey, I love this action pose you captured. The white subject against a dark BG, the water droplets. Home run, I say.
Jim - yes, there are huge fires down south in the Pantanal, and some places where we are (further north) are pretty smoky. But it isn’t affecting too many shots - only the longer-distance landscape ones. My sore throat and watery eyes are not very happy, though. Still, well worth it!!!
Sandy: sory to hear about your banking woes, but your banking photo should go a good bit of the way to make up for your problems. The pose is geat, the whites are detailed and under control and the background showcases the bird. Excellent!
Oh yeah…love these elegant golden-slippered birds and this is a really nice catch of one. Terrific in flight pose and exposure. Love the water drops. This pops really well.
Sorry you had to deal with those bad guys.
Dennis and Allen - thank you for the EP! This is one of my favorite images from the Pantanal so far, but there will be many more to come.
Just home yesterday after an amazinng 3 weeks, and have about 50,000 images to go through (as well as a ton of dirty laundry).
For anyone interested, Trogon Tours http://www.trogontours.net is exceptional. Nate Chappell, the owner, was an Avian moderator here for several years and is an excellent photographer and a great guy. His tour leaders and local guides are outstanding. I’ve used them for photo tours for 20 years now.
Congratulations on the EP. It is a most deserving shot. I am late to the game here and hope that (…) has stopped trying to rob the bank. How lucky you are to be traveling with a great tour group. I look forward to more phenomenal pictures.
Egrets some of my most favorite bird to photograph. This ones says look out coming in hot. Love how you caught the drops of water in mid flight adds to the action. To bad about your travel issues travelers are always prey to the unscrupulous, be careful and enjoy.
this is really fantastic. Wonderful background sets off the white Egret perfectly. No nits here.
sorry about your logistical nightmare with the laptop And the bank. we often pay a price for exotic travel beyond what we expect.
@J_Fritz_Rumpf No, not at all - crime is certainly no worse in the cities like Sao Paulo and Cuiaba than any other city. In the Pantanal itself, the lodges and areas are very safe. Just be reasonably cautious - especially with camera gear - and you’ll be fine. Just don’t do anything stupid, like leave your computer on a table, as I did…
S
