# Family portrait **URL:** \ **Category:** Image Critiques\ **Tags:** birds\ **Created:** [March 24, 2019, 11:22am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/family-portrait/5117 "2019-03-24T11:22:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frank\_Forward](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/frank_forward/32/5336_2.png) [@Frank\_Forward](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Frank_Forward)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 11:22am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/family-portrait/5117/1 "2019-03-24T11:22:48Z")
### What technical feedback would you like if any? any and all. is the chick’s face too dark? ### What artistic feedback would you like if any? any and all ### Pertinent technical details or techniques: f8.0 iso 800 600 mm 1/1600 ![_A8P3300-Edit](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/2X/3/3a4d9da4d02258bed91613635341920627f90d55.jpeg) (If backgrounds have been removed, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn) ###### If you would like your image to be eligible for a feature on the NPN Instagram (@NaturePhotoNet), add the tag ‘ig’ and leave your Instagram username below. ##### **_You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques._** ---
**Author:** ![Patricia\_Brundage](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@Patricia\_Brundage](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Patricia_Brundage)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 1:08pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/family-portrait/5117/2 "2019-03-24T13:08:51Z")
As to your question about the chick, he/she looks perfectly natural to me. Great story telling image with all the technical aspects spot on. Thanks for sharing it. ---
**Author:** ![Adhika\_Lie](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/adhika_lie/32/15928_2.png) [@Adhika\_Lie](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Adhika_Lie)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 2:43pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/family-portrait/5117/3 "2019-03-24T14:43:25Z")
Frank, everything is spot on. I think the tonality on the chick face is spot on. If I have to nitpick, I would run NR to help with the noise a little but the image itself is so strong. ---
**Author:** ![Lyle\_Gruby](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@Lyle\_Gruby](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Lyle_Gruby)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 4:15pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/family-portrait/5117/4 "2019-03-24T16:15:24Z")
This is very nice, especially considering how hard it is to get a clean shot at a rookery. Great interaction, IQ looks good, BG is very pleasing, and we have some eye contact with all three. And the crop works–tough to pull off. Critique-wise, I definitely think the chick’s face is too dark, especially given how light the eye is. I also think the eye on the youngster being fed is too light. Neither bird is quite as well lit as the adult, yet both eyes are brighter. Looks unnatural to me. Otherwise, I’d clone out the light twig running into the left side of the photo and one or two of the little branches between the birds. Addressing those and adding some NR would take this up a couple levels. ---
**Author:** ![Hans\_Overduin](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/hans_overduin/32/406_2.png) [@Hans\_Overduin](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Hans_Overduin)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 4:49pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/family-portrait/5117/5 "2019-03-24T16:49:03Z")
Lovely interaction here, well-framed. The tones look okay to me, there seems to be however some noise? Did you crop a lot ? Anyway, I like the behaviour a lot in this one ! Cheers, Hans ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_Zablotny](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/jim_zablotny/32/3919_2.png) [@Jim\_Zablotny](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Jim_Zablotny)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 6:10pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/family-portrait/5117/6 "2019-03-24T18:10:30Z")
A fine interaction and just control that noise a bit and this one will turn out fine. Well done…Jim ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_Nall](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/jim_nall/32/6331_2.png) [@Jim\_Nall](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Jim_Nall)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 11:15pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/family-portrait/5117/7 "2019-03-24T23:15:20Z")
It’s hard not to like this one. That is to say I like it very very much. Frank I also like the way you’ve cropped it which for me enhances the interaction between the birds. Looks like lighting with certainly in your favor as well. Very very nice! ---
**Author:** ![Dennis\_Plank](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/dennis_plank/32/27033_2.png) [@Dennis\_Plank](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Dennis_Plank)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2019, 1:05am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/family-portrait/5117/8 "2019-03-25T01:05:24Z")
Great interaction and an excellent composition, Frank. I don;t consider the faces too dark, but I do see Lyle’s point about the brightness of the eyes. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen enough juvenile Great Blue Herons with their parent to know if it’s natural or not. Maybe my eyes are going bad, but I’m just not seeing the noise that others mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Nate\_Chappell](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/nate_chappell/32/464_2.png) [@Nate\_Chappell](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Nate_Chappell)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 10:04pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/family-portrait/5117/10 "2019-03-28T22:04:58Z")
Great behavioral image Frank, for me just a touch of noise reduction on the background, super shot!