Jim Bodkin, APSA, PPSA
About the Image(s)
One of the joys of nature photography is having many willing subjects, like large, active nesting birds. We try to take a 2 week adventure driving the whole Florida peninsula every other spring - - - which was canceled this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. That required that I search through previous year’s images to find a substitute.
We typically visit around 25 different favorite locations to photograph and try to find more each trip. This was photographed in Orlando near the end of February when the white egret chicks were about 2 weeks old and very dependent upon the parents for all of their needs. It doesn’t mean that they are not demanding though! We have witnessed the parents being bullied by the chicks for continuous food and dominant chicks pecking at the less dominant. We find great satisfaction photographing them and enjoy just watching the interaction.
Taken with a Canon 7D Mk2, with 500mm, f/4 lens plus 1.4x teleconverter (700mm effective) at 1/800 sec and f/9.0 ISO 640. Original image processed in Lightroom for cropping, some sharpening, and conversion to B&W with a standard preset. Performed some burning and dodging with the adjustment to balance luminosity and sharpness and graduated filter to produce a pseudo vignetting effect.
This round’s discussion is now closed!
13 comments posted
  Posted: 06/04/2020 20:43:16
Yes, the lens is quite the bear to move around. When using it, I tend to think of myself of less a photographer and more a full-fledged body workout participant. The whole rig with tripod, ball head, sidekick gimbal adapter, camera, 2x teleconverter and 500mm lens is about 18.5 lbs (around 8.4Kg) - - - as you said, a beast!
  Posted: 06/04/2020 21:19:05
I was quite surprised as I considered it OK, but not outstanding. (That is why I am in this group to 'better' my eye!)
  Posted: 06/07/2020 13:05:36
  Posted: 06/08/2020 01:06:23
  Posted: 06/19/2020 00:45:03