# Little Blue Heron Reverse Silhouette

**URL:** <https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/little-blue-heron-reverse-silhouette/12120>\
**Category:** Image Critiques\
**Tags:** weekly-challenge\
**Created:** [March 23, 2020, 10:35pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/little-blue-heron-reverse-silhouette/12120 "2020-03-23T22:35:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**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 23, 2020, 10:35pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/little-blue-heron-reverse-silhouette/12120/1 "2020-03-23T22:35:20Z")

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This is a shot from a Mike Ramy excursion on the St. Johns river of Florida in 2016. I’m pretty sure I posted this image on the old NPN at the time without going to silhouette, but the background was so dark I thought I’d take it all the way for this challenge. I’ll also post the original so you can see where I started.

 ![160323florida 2016-_7D22574 little blue heron processed-Edit-Edit](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/b/8/b832df3ae1ee6caa9d1ebf36d0aa979ae7518f0f.jpeg)

 ![160323florida 2016-_7D22574 little blue heron processed-Edit](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/e/1/e11b2f087f498f7da277145b8127f15a611b4826.jpeg)

### What technical feedback would you like if any?

Anything

### What artistic feedback would you like if any?

Anything.

### Pertinent technical details or techniques:

7DII, Sigma 150-600 C @ 600 mm, f/8, 1/3200, iso 500, manual exposure. For reprocessing, I took the background way down with an exposure adjustment layer in PS, then took the shadows down in LR to really make it black. I used an adjustment layer in PS to bring the whites up on the selected bird and perch. The selection wasn’t the best (I used the one I already had from 4 years ago), so I used white and black brushes to clean it up. Original taken March 23rd, 2016 at 5:04 pm (just an hour and a half off from exactly four years ago, neglecting time zones).

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**Author:** ![Harley\_Goldman](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/harley_goldman/32/213_2.png) [@Harley\_Goldman](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Harley_Goldman)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2020, 10:45pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/little-blue-heron-reverse-silhouette/12120/2 "2020-03-23T22:45:20Z")

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It sure nicely takes the image into the abstract painterly look quite effectively. I like both versions.

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**Author:** ![Mark\_Seaver](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/mark_seaver/32/231_2.png) [@Mark\_Seaver](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Mark_Seaver)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 12:29pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/little-blue-heron-reverse-silhouette/12120/3 "2020-03-24T12:29:08Z")

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Dennis, the original is a fine look at the Egret. The silhouette stands out well as a graphic. Nicely done.

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**Author:** ![linda\_mellor](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/linda_mellor/32/15806_2.png) [@linda\_mellor](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/linda_mellor)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 9:24pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/little-blue-heron-reverse-silhouette/12120/4 "2020-03-24T21:24:21Z")

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Great idea Dennis. I like the graphic version, almost looks like a woodcut print.

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**Author:** ![David\_Schoen](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/david_schoen/32/368_2.png) [@David\_Schoen](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/David_Schoen)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 11:54pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/little-blue-heron-reverse-silhouette/12120/5 "2020-03-26T23:54:36Z")

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Good idea and out-of-the-box thinking on this challenge for this image. I like it.