Great Blue Heron photo-painting
I like to re-create some of my photos to make them look more like paintings. This Great Blue Heron seemed like a good subject. ...
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I like to re-create some of my photos to make them look more like paintings. This Great Blue Heron seemed like a good subject.
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Apr, 2017Views
317
Likes
Awards
Winner in Like a Painting Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
Emotions
Impressed
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
In a marsh near where I liveTime
Around 10 AMLighting
It was a pretty dull day-a bit misty.Equipment
Nikon D500 with a 300 f/4 lens. Hand heldInspiration
I loved the pose of the heron waiting patiently in the reeds for a fish to appear. When one did, the heron made incredibly swift darts at it's prey and often succeeded. Great Blue Herons seem to be endlessly patient, and often stand still for a long time. This gives an opportunity for a good picture (or several), and time to make exposure corrections. Sometimes, however, they are so still that one completely misses seeing them until it moves a bit.Editing
This picture was enhanced with some Photoshop brushes and perhaps a Topaz painting application- I don't remember, exactly. I know I wanted to bring out the soft misty mood and enhance the colors a bit with various sliders like hue/saturation and curves, for balance of contrasts and color. .In my camera bag
I don't carry much-just the Nikon D500, the 300 f/4 , sometimes with a 1.4 teleconverter, a shorter Nikon zoom., and in my car I have a Tamron 150-600 lens. It's too heavy to carry around, but I use it with a tripod or resting on a sack on my car window edge. Occasionally I can hand-hold it for short periods of time. I use a Black Rapid strap, and rarely, a tripod which I keep in my car.Feedback
For shots like this I just travel around to places where I've seen a bird before. I have my camera ready on the seat of my car, and often just open the window for a shot like this. The car acts like a blind, and I can rest the camera on the window edge at times. Just be sure if you shoot from your car, you are not in any traffic or endangering other travelers. Regular trips to good known birding sites helps to have a better chance for success. Bright light is best-slightly overcast. Mist creates a nice mood. I waited for the heron to move out of the rushes for a pleasing pose, and I wanted a soft, contrasting background.
