Great blue heron...need comments please

Hey Folks,
I'm going to be posting some shots I've taken over the last few days of herons but I wanted to ask a specific question on this one shot...


Is the background too distracting...does it detract over all from the image or is it fine as is? I can't really make up my mind here....

the background does mess it up a little bit, but is a good shot anyways

The background is distracting.

The background could have been more blurred and therefore less distracting by using a larger aperture. The picture was taken at f/7.1, and f/5.6 could have been used.

The only other things you could have done would be to get closer, which puts your camera looking more down at the bird and thus lifting the distracting portion of the background out of the frame. By being closer, you would also benefit from a more out of focus background just due to the new geometry or perspective from being closer.

However, I'm sure that's all wishful thinking, since you probably did the best possible with what you were given.

Thanks guys...yea...that's pretty much what I thought. I had stopped down the aperture just a bit because I really wanted this guys face in focus but their heads are so small, I really couldn't get him "between the eyes" with a single focus point like I do with most critters so I was focusing on his body instead.

Okies...I'll go back and fake the lens blur in Photoshop. Thanks!
Jim

That's a great shot. Yeah...shoulda, woulda, coulda...ya still done good.

Better or still need more?

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I would clone the water up to cover the bank on the far side.

LeuceDeuce wrote in post #5570311
I would clone the water up to cover the bank on the far side.

I think what you're suggesting is so that it will look something like this....?

Is that what that bird is? A Heron.
I've taken so many pics of those when I go to Port Aransas, but never really researched what they were.

Nice pic, bu tI do agree, the background is distracting b/c it has so many well defined lines.

They are the largest of the herons and I believe there are 4 or 5 subspecies including Great Whites. Typically they are very shy around humans and particularly noise, which is really what has surprised about seeing so many of them up by Lorain Harbor. While not "endangered", in some areas they are considered threatened, mostly due to human activity and or pollution of the water and habitat (such as is the case here in Ohio). I've seen quite a few over the years when my wife and I have been out canoing on rivers and small lakes, but usually you can't get close to them...they see ya coming and they don't stick around. More over when I've seen them on rivers and such, usually I only see -1-...not 10-20 of them like I've seen seeing up at the harbor this last week...it's been really amazing to just watch them! It's also really cool that as large as they are, that they're so quiet (even in flight). More often than not the last couple of days they've been sneaking up on me more than I have been them! LOL!!! I'll get distracted by something for a few minutes and then when I look around I'll have 2 or 3 of them within a few hundred feet.....very cool indeed.

Just Google "great blue heron"...there's a ton of info out there on them.

Peace,
Jim