My favorite shot from yesterday morning at Bear River MBR.
1/4000, f/7.1, ISO 320, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
It was a slow day for birds at the refuge but I did manage to get a few nice shots of this Great Blue Heron with the far away snow covered Promontory Mountains in the lower background.
The heron was circling around after coming back to check on a couple of its buddies when I caught it in a banking flight posture that put warm morning light on its entire ventral surface. I also like the pectoral plumes hanging down and casting a shadow on the right wing. This is the only shot I managed to get where there’s at least some separation between the alulae and the wings. In the rest of my photos the alulae were virtually invisible.
This is another case where I had difficulty deciding how to crop the image. This horizontal version includes more of the Promontory Mountains in the lower background but…
a vertical crop makes the heron larger in the frame for slightly better detail and a more intimate look at the bird.
This version also confirms that the heron was banking in flight. With this type of shot it’s often difficult to tell for sure if the bird is banking low to the ground or flying high above the photographer, especially since the snow-covered mountains have a strong resemblance to clouds. But the phragmites plume at bottom right confirms that I was shooting horizontally and the heron was banking very low to the ground.
So I’m presenting both compositions. Take your pick.
Ron
I like them both, Great shot. Wrinkly knees and all.
I am absolutely no help today, as I like them both. I really like the GBH’s position in the frame in the horizontal shot; having the canvas on the left gives him a place to fly into. However, I really like the detail in the vertical shot, but I’m finding the phrag to be distracting. I think a slightly tighter vertical crop that cuts out the phrag (or a disclosed “erasure” of the offending weed) would be my favorite. Of course, ANY shot of a GBH is a good shot (just like Goldens), IMO! 😉
I agree with you about the phrag Marty, although it doesn’t bother me much. I could crop it out but that would be pretty tight on the bird. Or remove it, which I don’t like to do. For this presentation I wanted to include it to confirm how low the heron was to the ground.
Awesome photo, Ron. I love the detail in both crops yet the vertical one makes my heart sing. What a beautiful bird.
Thank you, Melanie.
I prefer the horizontal image. The horizontal line made by the bird’s body along the cloud line becomes more prominent, and the X formed with the line of the wings is a stronger composition, IMO. The sky around the bird is lovely, too. Really beautiful shot.
Thanks for providing your reasoning, Stephanie.
I’m with the vertical crowd for prints or small viewing. The other version might be fine if you were projecting it onto a large screen so all those wonderful details were as clear.
Kathy’s comment reminds me of the recent rejection by the State Department of a passport photo I’d submitted. The letter said that the details didn’t show. At 75, that’s exactly why I’d chosen that photo! It wasn’t the wrinkles on my knees I was worried about.
The last part of your comment made me smile, Nancy. Thanks, I needed that today!
Nancy, I agree with your comments about Ron’s photo and about the State Dept rejecting the photo you submitted for your passport. You made me giggle!!
I like the detail in the vertical shot best. Really beautiful.
Thanks for the feedback, Susan.
Vertical for me.
And the usual awe, wonder and delight.
Mixed with some sadness. When/why/how did both of our countries stop having people of intelligence/class and wit in the political sphere? And will we ever tempt them back?
Yup, it’s more than sad, EC. It’s tragic.
Can’t imagine a better photograph of a beautiful bird.
Thank you, Lyle.
I just like both photos, as the GBH is a beautiful bird any way you look at them! The vertical crop is more personal.
Thanks, Trudy. I like them both too.
I pick #2 for its compositional strength—-so impressive ! And I love the Eleanor Roosevelt quote–I’d never heard it before, and it really cracked me up–
the things that come up on your bog — You have the best bunch of followers !
I got a good giggle out of that quote too, Kris. I’ve always admired Eleanor and now that feeling’s even stronger.
I like the horizontal. Gives it room to fly. Nice light and I like the shadow on the wing.
Thank you, April.
It’s horizontal for me. And the word horizontal inevitably brings up one of my favorite Eleanor Roosevelt quotes about roses. 😀 Do you know it?
Possibly this one but I had to look it up:
“”I once had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: no good in a bed, but fine up against a wall.”
Gotta love Eleanor!
Grin, that’s it!
Spectacular! I like the horizontal version for composition, but the vertical for documentary reasons. Regardless, it is a gorgeous image of the heron!
Thank you, D.
Jaw dropping WOW! 🙂 GREAT detail of the whole bird and the background sets it off perfectly. In this case I like the vertical better for the detail and a bit more contrast in the background. In my wildest dreams…… 😉
Thanks very much, Judy. I think it’s pretty nifty too…
Beautiful in-flight photos. I think I like the horizontal best, but a tough choice since both are good. I think you get a better look at the underside of the wings though in the vertical. I have gotten a couple in-flight photos of GBH’s over the years, but none as good as these. When I hike around a couple of our lakes GBH’s scream out their protest at being disturbed as they fly to the other side of the lake. I had so many photos of them flying away that I don’t even think of taking one anymore.
Thanks, Everett. Butt shots are a hazard of our “profession”… 🙂
For me definitely the vertical crop. I like detail and this does expose the bird more…right down to the ‘wrinkles in the knees.’ 😊 Very nice feather detail also.
“wrinkles in the knees”
Ha, you made me notice a detail I hadn’t seen! Thanks for that, Kathy.