This is my first post so I hope I am doing this right. I am open to any and all suggestions/comments.
I shot these two Snowy Egrets having a disagreement at a rookery near New Iberia, LA this past spring.
What technical feedback would you like if any?
Anything will be welcome
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
Anything will be welcome
Any pertinent technical details:
Canon 7D, Mark II, Canon 100-400 L ver. II, shot on a monopod with Manfrotto 393 large lens head, f/7.1, 1/2500, ISO 400, Manual Mode, Evaluative Metering, 0 EV, LR and PS, cropped left side and bottom to 70% and removed some stray branches, etc.
You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques.
Pretty neat slice of time, Patrick. The flying headdresses on both are way cool. I believe I know the exact location, and considering the surroundings, you did a good job getting them in the open like this. These Snowy Egrets are aggressive, and I really like the direct physical contact with their feet, never caught that myself. Really nice job.
Thank you, Bill. And yes, there was quite a bit of foliage to contend with but, fortunately, this action took place on the periphery.
Great first post. Good job on handling the whites and great interaction. Good detail and they stand out well from the background.
Excellent interaction. I find the comp quite pleasing. If I were to try anything, I might decrease the brightness selectively on the left Egret wing to see if it is possible to extract more detail. Depending on your feelings about such matters, you could also clean up a few branches that are a minor distraction.
Agree with everyone else. This is a nice catch with their contact with each other. I like the comp and you did a good job with whatever cleanup you did. I’ve shot these guys in conflict and it’s difficult with them running amongst the trees and shrubs. Great job.
Thank you for the comments and suggestions, David. I’ll give that a try.
Patrick: you did a great job of catching the action at the peak and holding the whites as well. Whatever clean up you did works well. It’s a fine photo all around. Richard
Oh wow, what a great shot, Patrick! Timing as well as everything else was perfect. I love to watch these guys interact, and their “hair” really is nice when they are active like this. Great first post, and welcome to NPN. Looking forward to seeing more of your shots.
Thank you, Richard. With these birds moving in and out of the shadows plus an afternoon sun, the whites really were a challenge. I learned a lot at this shoot.
Thanks for the kind words, Shirley. I think I’ll be learning a lot judging by the other work I’ve seen on this site.
1 Like
Here is a repost per the suggestions from @David_Schoen. In addition to his suggestions, I also added some contrast to the birds in Nik Color Efex Pro. I think it is an improvement. Thanks for the suggestions David.
Interesting action/behavioral image. Nice job on the exposure and detail is good. I like that you captured a pose where the eye on both birds is visible. The shadows on the birds in unfortunate, but unavoidable.
