Janice Solomon
November 2024 - Great Blue Heron
About the Image(s)
I took this image of a great blue heron while kayaking near my home in Maryland. His wings were almost touching the water. I cropped this and ran it through Topaz AI. I don't like the brown color of the water, but I don't know how to change it to a prettier color, or whether that's "ethical", especially for a nature competition.
11 comments posted
Janice, this is amazing. I can not believe you took this from a Kayak. This is amazingly sharp and the depth of field is perfect. Now I am posting this ealy in the month because I do not want anyone talking you in to changing the color of the water. In my opinion, it gives a great balance and it also is the way the water looked. The blue on the bird and the brown in the water is perfect and if you changed the water the bird would not stand out as much. You should enter this in as many competitions as you can. Also check with tourist and nature publications to see if they could use it. Wow, I am amazed. This is why I don't photograph wildlife, or play the guitar. Posted: 11/04/2024 06:19:54
Hi Don, wow! Thank you so much!!! I'll take your advice and enter this into competitions! I keep chasing all the herons around the lakes from my kayak, and finally I got one just the way I wanted it. :-) Sorry about your guitar playing. Posted: 11/05/2024 02:26:03
It's okay, I play a mean drum set. Posted: 11/11/2024 03:59:18
Hahaha! Posted: 11/17/2024 18:52:11
Hi Janice, I can see you sitting in your kayak so excited to have this one in the bag. Well done! Please remember that if you want to keep this as a Nature image, you can't change the colour of the water. The water actually works well in this image. The only comment that I can make is have you considered dropping the highlights on the leading wing? Posted: 11/07/2024 09:13:38
Hi Julie, thanks so much! I have now darkened the wing as you suggested. Posted: 11/17/2024 19:37:42
Wow?Janice?
This is such a beautiful photo. The colors stood out in the light. You must have a steady hand to shoot such a sharp image. Wish you win the competition!
I see great blue herons where I live often. In fact, I spotted one while walking yesterday. In spring, I saw a nest with two great heron chicks. Beautiful bird.. Posted: 11/07/2024 21:30:26
This is such a beautiful photo. The colors stood out in the light. You must have a steady hand to shoot such a sharp image. Wish you win the competition!
I see great blue herons where I live often. In fact, I spotted one while walking yesterday. In spring, I saw a nest with two great heron chicks. Beautiful bird.. Posted: 11/07/2024 21:30:26
Thanks, Ling Ling! I took this at 1/1000 sec. I love herons! Wow! You're lucky to have seen chicks! Posted: 11/17/2024 19:38:34
Hey Janice, I liked Julie's idea but want to make sure you use like a masking tool to only mask that area. Also I tried it with Highlights and could not apply enough for my taste, so I tried things like Dehaze, so, while you have a mask open (on a copy of your image) try some different things. I showed your image to some photography friends of mine and they could not stop saying "wow!". But, a contest judge, might not see it that way. I tried the dodge and burn tool and it just made things muddy. Careful. Posted: 11/11/2024 04:15:38
Thanks, Don. Yes, I used a masking tool to only darken part of the wing and nothing else. I'll submit this to my camera club's nature competition, the biggest competition theme of the year. Posted: 11/17/2024 19:40:41
Janice this is a great photo! My comments mirror the others. The water color is true to our area and an asset in making the heron stand out. Toning down the wing should really make this win! Posted: 11/19/2024 17:41:24