From last spring. I shot a burst as this Great Egret flew in. This was my favorite one but I clipped the top arch of the branch, just above where the leaves attach. Fortunately I was able to grab it from the previous frame. I hadn’t worked it up until yesterday, in trying to find favorites I hadn’t posted before. The sky wasn’t changed – it was morning clearing fog.
Specific Feedback Requested
All comments welcome!
Technical Details
Is this a composite: Yes
Minor adjustments in LR and then to PS to composite the layer with the branch.
Diane, this is a fine look at the Egret bring back a stick for its nest. The details in the bird look great and the patching looks good also. The bird is too centered from my taste.
Thanks everyone! @Mark_Seaver, I seem to have a duck stamp mentality when composing bird images. This was full frame left to right (500mm on a full-frame), and when I added more on top to get the rest of the cut-off branch, I should have thought to add more on the right. (Easy to get too satisfied!)
Diane, this is wonderful just the way it is. I have a similar one, only he was carrying sticks at odd angles, with bare trees in the background, so not as impactful. I like the composition just the way it is…he’s the center of attention and plenty of room around him.
I never would have figured that the branch was clipped off. The colors are very nice and the egret shows off well from the clearing sky. I think Mark has a valid point in sneaking in a little more sky to the right. That’s for the next rainy day. Well done…Jim
Being an old dog learning new tricks, I took this back into ACR and did some calibration work to pop some of the color on the leaves, eye and sky - just a touch and I don’t think you need that much lead out room so cropped it back a tad.
I like your more moderate framing. Colors are tricky here as I had already gone too far warming the Eucalyptus leaves – they should be a subdued grayish green. The green lore could be fairly colorful – individuals vary in breeding season colors.
The leaf color is tricky depending on the time of year. I grew up with Eucalyptus trees in Southern California and can tell you I had a love /hate relationship with them. They were great for building forts in, but every spring raking the leaves made me crazy. So I guess it comes down to interpretation, monitors calibration, etc…either or, it’s a super shot and really grasps the activity taking place. Well Done!
