Lift Off

[Chris_Calohan]

I shot a whole sequence of this Great Blue Heron taking off. I was hampered in the framing as there was a Great Egret just off the right wingtip of the Heron so had to make a tighter crop than I wanted.

This was an especially intriguing shot because as I was shooting it, I did not notice the reflection of the water on the undersides of the wings.

Specific Feedback Requested

Are the water reflections too much, or do you think it adds some drama to the shot?

Technical Details

Is this a composite: No
D500, 200-500 @ 500mm (750mm equivalent). f/6.3, 1/4000, ISO 640

Very little processing beyond the basic ACR panel and one lights mask on a level adj layer to give a tad more emphasis to the reflections. I have included a second image of the take off sequence to show the wings without the reflections.

[Gary_Minish]

These are excellent action shots of the take-off, Chris! The exposure and colors are great and the fast shutter speed stopped the action very nicely . Clarity/detail is also superb. The water reflection light on the wings is actually a plus in my opinion as it “reflects” real life. The almost square crop works fine also and definitely better than having to deal with parts of another bird. Killer images!

[Peter_Morrissey (Peter J. Morrissey)]

Hi Chris
The action and framing are very good. I think the enhancement could come down a little on both shots. In the second photograph I think the exposure on the Heron could come down some. The two photographs vary cool and you did a great job on freezing the action.
Peter