Herons at night
Little herons are active even at night and compete for prey.
Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax).
Little herons are active even at night and compete for prey.
Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax).
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Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax).
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Oct, 2021Views
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Awards
Honorable Mention in Bird Addiction Photo Contest
Runner Up in Surreal Academy Photo Contest
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in Hungary in June 2021 during my photography trip in the special hides of photographer Bence Máté.Time
I took this shot from the "Theatre" photo hide, half an hour after midnight. That night I took pictures of herons in the hide by the pond. One heron was lying in wait for a fish when a second, more dominant heron flew in and chased the first one away. I deliberately took this picture with a long exposure time to highlight the splashing water drops and the motion blur of the bird. The atmosphere of the picture was enhanced by the mist that floated above the water surface.Lighting
An additional backlight was used to photograph the animal's silhouette and radiant contours.Equipment
Back then I was working with my excellent Nikon D6 SLR and Nikon 180-400mm f/4 zoom lens. I took photos with a tripod, no flash.Inspiration
I am a hobby nature and wildlife photographer. I like to shoot in bad weather and unusual light conditions. And the hides on Bence's farm offer unique opportunities to photograph animals in the dark with additional front or back lighting of the scene. And in these extra light conditions, I'm not too lazy to drive up to 850 km.Editing
I love natural photos. Realistic shots without big adjustments. I try to capture all my photos so I do not have to use the massive post-processing. I know it is very modern and trendy today, but I do not work with PS or LR or other editing software. I invoke my NEF only in original Nikon Studio NX or Nikon Capture and make only minor edits. Maybe my photos could be even more attractive, but I want to show real reality.In my camera bag
The contents of my robust Tamrac bag are primarily a powerful Nikon digital camera that I can rely on in any weather. Not long ago I normally used a camera Nikon D6 and a backup camera Nikon D850. I normally use the Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 and 70-200 f/2.8 lenses. These "workers" are always with me. For wild animals and birds photography I need to pack "heavier weight" - now I'm using the zoom-lens Nikkor 180-400 f/4 (with TC 1.4x) and fast lenses Nikkor 300 f/2.8 and Nikkor 200 f/2. But in recent years I've been gradually upgrading to Nikon mirrorless Z cameras and the corresponding Z lenses. Currently it's the camera Z9 and Z8 plus the lenses Nikon Z 24-70 f/2.8, Nikon Z 70-200 f/2.8, Z 100-400 f/4.5-5.6, Z 180-600 f/5.6-6.3 and Z 800 f/6.3.Feedback
I prefer taking photos outside the interior of buildings, preferably in optimal lighting conditions without direct sunlight and without flash. But I also like to take pictures in bad weather (fog, rain, snow) and also in the dark. And it is photography from a hiding place using additional front or back lighting that offers clear opportunities for photographing animals in the dark with long exposure time.
