On Thin Ice

[dwaugh]

When I was walking home from the bus today I saw this heron which is around the area now and then, standing on the ice of the pond, which happened to be quite thin (I think it was only frozen overnight - I was surprised to see any birds on top of it, especially one as big as that). So I grabbed my camera at home and walked back out and shot this with my long lens past someone's house, from the road. I didn't have much time because it flew away about two minutes later. What do you think of this?

[shootme]

I like this shot. I'd probably crop a bit off the bottom to eliminate that yellow and green thing in the foreground, even if it cuts the shoreline. S

[Don Schaeffer]

I agree with shootme. You could crop everything below the top of that prickly plant.

[dwaugh]

Here's a crop:



It is certainly a little less messy now with out of focus things. I had to keep the prickly plant because the reflection is behind it.

[shootme]

Great job, print and hang, well done. S

[GB1]

Sort of a split decision w/ me, Dave .., I like the flair of color in the foreground but also feel it's distracting. The version with it cropped out is, to me, a bit plain in color (very earthy) and subject (the bird is fine but looks a lot like a statue). Still, I know how hard it is to get super shots of birds and such and I think this photo ranks up there in the top 30%. Just my opin, anyways

G

[dwaugh]

I agree that what would work best is a happy medium between the two. This bird hangs around this area a lot, but the pond is not frozen often, and most of the time it's in a tree anyway. I pay attention to where it is, so maybe sometime I'll get better shots of it (including in the tree, using my telescope).

[shootme]

Dwaugh, look forward to seeing more. Might I add though if you did the crop above but left in the right-side as shown in the original shot, it might give more depth and not make the bird look like a statue. Would you indulge me by doing it when you have time and repost? Cheers, Shootme

[dwaugh]

I didn't crop it like that because without being able to see the ground where the wall is coming up from, it would be too random. Also, I cropped it out to put the heron in a more natural looking setting.

[shootme]

Good point.

[Don Schaeffer]

I really like this shot. Even black and white might work.

[zen]

Great shot !
Leave the bottom the way it is now, but I'd prolly crop about 2/3 of everything above the top of the birds head too, this would allow his head to then to go well into the top 1/3 of the frame and give him a bit prouder appearance.
Also it would give the impression that you were actually closer to him, and shooting from a lower angle, closer to his own eye level.

[dwaugh]

I put both of the last suggestions into one. I did it quickly (spent about a minute on it). What do you think?

[shootme]

Also very good. S