Tom Kredo, EPSA, SPSA
June 2025 - Great Blue Heron
About the Image(s)
This is a Great Blue Heron taken at Montezuma Wildlife Refuge last week. Fuji X-H2s with Fuji 500mm f5.6 prime , 1/2000th, F5.6, ISO 800, 750mm full frame equivalent focal length.
This guy kept playing with his food for so long, I must have taken 3000 shots.
Tom Kredo
This round’s discussion is now closed!
8 comments posted
Allen Kurth
It is rare for wildlife to pose for you camera for more than a couple of minutes. It is also tempting to move on. Make the most of the opportunity. Take shots with lower and lower ISO. Vary your shutter speed and f stop. Try different composition or a different background. Make the most of the encounter. Posted: 06/11/2025 13:13:17
Thanks Allen, good advice I need to remember at the right time. Posted: 06/25/2025 10:08:39
James Nelson
GBH are always a good subject. In my area, we usually see them taking much smaller fish and crustaceans so I found this scene to be interesting. Maybe not playing, maybe trying to figure out how to handle such a big bite. Posted: 06/17/2025 15:33:29
I think you are correct on the large size of the fish, which he eventually swallowed, was a problem for the bird. Posted: 06/25/2025 10:09:32
(Group 3)
Lovely capture. I like the position of the bird relative to the viewer. Your exposure is appropriate. I have mixed feelings about the crop. One school says to leave enough room below for the implied legs to not be cut off. But the other school says, all that dirt isn't helping you at all. As is, the land beneath just emphasizes the lack of space above the bird. If the bird stood fully upright, its head would be cut off by your crop. So, if you have it I would recrop to leave more space above and less below.
Lillian Posted: 06/19/2025 15:49:29
Lillian Posted: 06/19/2025 15:49:29
Hi Lillian,
I cropped to put the water line near the lower third and the eye on the upper third. I think I'll leave it as is for now. Thanks for the suggestion.
Posted: 06/25/2025 10:11:34
I cropped to put the water line near the lower third and the eye on the upper third. I think I'll leave it as is for now. Thanks for the suggestion.
Posted: 06/25/2025 10:11:34
Howard Frank
nice sharp image with good detail and color. I think the crop is fine. Nice that it posed for you for a long time. Posted: 06/25/2025 10:25:10
I like the action freeze moment and wish you might have got 'tossing of the fish and swalloing it half way' images too. Posted: 06/28/2025 01:34:21