Gerhard Geldenhuys
April 2026 - Heron Catching a Snack
Original
About the Image(s)
Bird species : Grey Heron .
Nikon D810 20-500 mm at 500mm f6.3 ISO800 and 1/4000 sec. Kirk window bracket with a Wimberly arm taken in the wild from my vehicle.
Post processing in Camera RAW , Photoshop 2026 and DxO NIK software.
Image flipped horizontally and cropped in camera raw.
5 comments posted
Very nice editing with reflection. I like the detail in the bird. I am sure you had to wait patiently until he got his fish. Posted: 04/02/2026 18:09:00
Gerhard, patience pays off. Sometimes these wading birds would stay immobile for an extended period of time and you always wonder how much longer, until it happens and you may be tired and distracted and have to wait all over again. The new Nikon cameras have this feature called pre-capture which will give you the fraction of a second needed to get the right frame. Nice rreflection. I like your flip. Posted: 04/02/2026 19:20:58
Hi Gerhard - I agree with Isaac, that the flipped image is more pleasing. In discussions in other photo groups, it seems that right-facing subjects in nature and Wildlife seem to be preferred by viewers (and judges). I also feel that your tighter crop from the original left-facing image directs more focus to the bird and the reflection. Nice job! Posted: 04/10/2026 00:13:33
This is a great image of the Grey Heron with its catch. I saw Grey Herons in the wetlands in India. Here in the US we have a very similar looking Heron, the Great Blue Heron (GBH). The GBH are slightly larger and have chestnut brown thigh plumage. Posted: 04/12/2026 21:08:57
What a great image. The reflection is beautiful. And I always envy your patience at being able to catch such special moments! Posted: 04/17/2026 19:59:43