Beak Crossed Lovers
In full breeding colors two lovers show their affection for one another at the Audubon Rookery in Venice FL.
In full breeding colors two lovers show their affection for one another at the Audubon Rookery in Venice FL.
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Jan, 2019Views
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Awards
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 22
Spring 21 Award
Judge Favorite
9Teen Award
Celebrity Award
Contest Finalist in Covers Photo Contest Volume 1
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rank
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
Early January at the Audubon Rookery in Venice FLTime
About an hour after sunrise.Lighting
The sun rises behind you at the Rookery which places the subjects in the best light. It is a mid winter sun and thus a slight amount softer.Equipment
Nikon D850, Nikkor AF-S 400 2.8E FL ED VR, 1.4TCIII, Gitzo tripod and Wimberley gimbal. 1/1600 and 72 ISO.Inspiration
From first light the island in the rookery is alive with hundreds of birds leaving their overnight roosting spot. Then it calms down some and the resident nest builders are flying in and out with branches and moss. These two Great White Egrets have a nest right where they are pictured. I wanted to photograph the birds while the green breeding colors were abundant.Editing
Small tweaks to exposure and clarity. Slightly cropped.In my camera bag
It depends on the day. The day long shoots are toughest as I like to have what I need when the situation arises. I am not going to leave a lens behind to save a pound and lose a better shot. I normally carry the D850 and D810 bodies, a 14mm, 24-70 and 200-400 or 400, and a 1.4TC. CP's, 6ND 8ND. Tool kit. Pre-dawn shoots I will have flash and a BetterBeamer. Almost always take the Gitzo and Wimberley. If I head out with less than 25 pounds then it is a walk in the park !!Feedback
Bird photography requires reach. The shot above was at about 37 meters and used 560mm focal length. It is only slightly cropped. While the standard advice is to fill the frame to the best of your ability I knew with this shot I wanted the green environment to be a part. The backgrounds vary at the location and man made objects can and will ruin a good action shot. Set up for static shots with both the subject and the background in mind and you will increase the odds of getting a keeper. To boost the dynamic range I try to shoot with as low an ISO as I can get with the SS I need. The shot above used 72 which is one click from the base 64. This helps show various shades of green almost imperceptible without viewing a higher ISO shot for comparison. Try a test series of increasing ISO shots in the field and review back on your monitor to see what a lower ISO provides. There are more shades of color than you first perceive.
