Heron Glam
Apr, 2019Views
406
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Awards
Winner in Great Blue Herons! Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
Virtuoso
All Star
Emotions
Impressed
Happy
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
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Top 20 rankTop 20 rank week 1Categories
micHELL666
April 14, 2019
Amazing how you used the little light to emphasize every detail of the heron
JennaJGruda
April 15, 2019
I lifted some shadows to make the image a little brighter. That brought out a lot of detail in the lower portion of the bird. Thank You so much Michel!
PRO+
PRO+
bonnielauriepelland
June 15, 2019
Congratulations on Your Win.. Jenna! It Was Hard For Me because I Had Some Really Beautiful Pictures to pick From. But I Really just Love Everything about this picture! Its Beautiful!
PRO+
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Behind The Lens
Location
I live in a rural area of North Western Pennsylvania that consist of many woodlands and wetlands with standing timber. They both boast a diverse and abundant amount of wildlife. It was in one of these wetlands, about 40 miles south of Lake Erie, where I captured this image.Time
On this morning I had arrived at the lake at first light and began making my way down a trail that leads to another small pond, where I knew there was an eagle nest. It was my intention to capture some eagle activity in the early morn, before they had settled into their daily routine of taking turns on the nest. Around 8am the activity had settled down, but it is a beautiful spot, and I was alone with nature, so I lingered awhile taking in the sights and sounds of the outdoors contemplating where to move to next. It was then this heron flew in and began preening on a branch on the opposite side of the pond from me. I took this shot on May 15th at 8:15 am.Lighting
Although it was long after sunrise, the dense woods behind me blocked much of sun rays. At the time I took this shot the tree where the heron perched was just receiving it's first light of day, with a dark shadow in the background.Equipment
I took this image, using a Sony a57 DSLR with a Tamron 300mm-600mm lens @600mm. I used no other equipment. Instead of a tri-pod, I supported my lens upon a fallen dead tree branch.Inspiration
The simple answer is that I'm always inspired to photograph wildlife. I marvel at it and I appreciate that through my photography I have learned so much about wildlife behavior and witnessed so many amazing things. However, concerning this image, it was the close proximity of the heron to me (at approx. 60-75yards) and the incredible lighting that made me attempt this image. I believed the morning rays of the sun would highlight the bird's feathers and the dark background would offer a compelling contrast.Editing
Particularly in wildlife photography, I try to present what I capture in the truest sense possible without any editing, besides perhaps a crop. In this case, I admit to feeling the image was somewhat special, so after some minor cropping, I shared it with some friends, who recommended I lighten the shadows a bit. I was pleased with the result, as it showcased much more detail in the birds feathers than what was apparent in the original image.In my camera bag
Primarily most of my photography is done along a trail or in the woods or on a kayak, so I attempt to pack my photographer's knapsack lightly. Normally I always have a Tamron 75-300mm lens. Yes it's a cheaper lens, but it has served me well and it's not that expensive to replace if the need arises. If wildlife photography is the purpose of my hike, I will also carry my Tamron 300-600mm lens. I also always carry my Sony 10-18mm lens along with my Sony 18-55mm kit lens. Doing this I find I have a suitable lens for nearly every occasion. I also pack a pouch containing ND variable filters for all lenses, along with extra polarizing filters. Some lens wipes, extra batteries for my camera round out the rest of my gear. My knapsack also has straps to carry along my Manfrotto tri-pod, which I always bring along if I even suspect the opportunity may arise for some long exposures.Feedback
When it comes to wildlife photography I believe there's no substitute for education if you wish to consistently capture great images of wildlife. Know when certain birds may migrate through your area, study their behavior know what times of they may be building their nests, when they mate, do they normally feed at the same time of day, etc. When your in the field pay attention to what they are doing and what time of day they are doing it. I personally keep a journal. There is always luck involved, but being informed of these behaviors will increase your chances of acquiring a good image. As for camera settings, I'm self-taught, so perhaps not every photographer will agree, but I believe film speed is the most important setting, so I usually begin there. It of course depends on what bird or species of animal your shooting, but with most birds I strive for a minimum of 1/800 of a second and prefer anything faster. I then moved on to my ISO. My Sony a57 did not perform well at higher ISO's, so I would attempt to keep my ISO no higher than 400. Once I had those settings, I would play with my aperture, again striving for the highest possible setting that fell into the realm of the 2 previous settings.
