The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Great Blue Heron posed as they do when they are stalking, hunting. I took this with Nikkor 800mm 6.3PF which allowed this close crop from a distance. This was handheld.
Specific Feedback
I’ve got some blown highlights in background. Suggestions on how to correct or whether to correct at all would be appreciated.
I like the excellent detail in the heron and the unusual (to me) algae covered pond it’s wading in. The algae makes a really cool background. If you’re concerned about blown highlights in the background an easy way to mitigate them if you can’t control them in the RAW editor is to do a clone on them from an adjacent area that isn’t blown out, you can adjust the opacity of the clone if you do it on a separate layer until it looks very natural.
Since you were using a prime lens the framing was pretty fixed. My personal taste would be for a bit looser framing to provide room for the heron to raise it’s head and some room for the virtual legs.
Hi John, cool setting for this heron. That’s a lot of goo for him/her to wade through. Agree with the looser crop and other advice given by Dennis. Nice catch.
Thanks Dennis. I’ll try the cloning technique. I’m torn on the framing as the looser framing introduced more highlights that I found distracting but appreciate your suggestion about it’s head and legs.
