Great Blue Heron

[BethG]

Can someone please tell me what's wrong with this photo besides there is no foliage in the background? It just looks "off" and I don't know how to fix it! At least the eye is in focus!

canon 70-300 at 255mm 1/400 sec f5.6 ISO 100

thanks
Beth

[

[scottbuckel]

I think I know why you think it is a bit off, it looks like it has a definite blue color cast to it and it could use a bit more contrast. There are a number of ways to fix that.

Birds in flight (BIF) can be a lot of fun, but can also be difficult to master.

Scott

[momech]

Scott's right, there's a color cast - and BIF is difficult.
You're right about the background, try to catch them with more distance between the bird and the backgtround (easier said than done). Also, the bird looks cramped aginst the right side of the image, try crop to leave more space in front of the bird, gives the feeling that the bird has room to fly. Last (tiny) nit to pick is the bird has gotten slightly by you, try to catch them as they are coming towards you and shoot a burst. If you try to wait until you get a perfect profile before you shoot, shutter lag will make you a tad late every time.

[Antonio Lopez]

I agree with all the above. Good try and keep at it.

Tony

[BethG]

How's this? I warmed it up a bit. I'm hoping the 7D that is on its way will help me get the exposures quicker. This was taken with with my Rebel and it's only 3 fps.

[Tim T]

The warmed up version looks much better. You're gonna like the 7D. There is a learning curve with it but you will enjoy the results when you get everything figured out.

[BethG]

Originally Posted by Tim T

The warmed up version looks much better. You're gonna like the 7D. There is a learning curve with it but you will enjoy the results when you get everything figured out.

I can't wait to get my hands on it! What are some of the best things to figure out about it first?

Hey! I'm signed up for a workshop with you in a few weeks with the Woodlands Photography Club! Can't wait to meet you!