Which bird do you like best?

[squirrels]

So I spent a week with my mother in law and she's got the photography bug too, but she has a much better eye than me! We had a blast.

Anyway, her neighborhood is having a little photo contest and she's trying to decide between her heron pics for the wildlife section. Which do you think?

Also feel free to C&C, but be polite for grandma.

1


2


3



Thanks!
C

 

[sm4him]

#3, FTW.

The reflection ones are cool--but #3 rocks.

 

[coastalconn]

#1 is lost a little with the bird being in the shadows. #2 is great. Nice reflection! #3 is a great landing capture. Pretty darn good for a 200mm wide open. I think #2 is the best, but I might try cloning out the 2 strands of grass in the foreground as they seem a little distracting. Just my humble opinion

 

[ceeboy14]

Got to be three for me but I'd be tempted to clone out the foreground - ground and make it all water for a little more drama. Nice captures.

 

[sm4him]

If you go with #2, I'd definitely take the time to clone out those blades of grass--but the other thing that detracts from it a little bit, imo, is that the lower wing in the reflection is just barely in the frame--if you framed this, you'd lose a little bit of that wing. That is a tiny thing, I think, just saying what I would think if it were my own.

In #3, I actually really like having a little bit of the ground there--since it's clearly about to land, it makes sense, to me, to show what it's about to land ON. But I *might* clone out those background blades and a few of the really high ones on the left side that are sort of poking into the bird's wings.

 

[squirrels]

Thanks you guys for the really good comments! I'm pointing the lady herself here to see what she'd like to do.

 

[baturn]

#3 just as it is for me.

 

[PixelRabbit]

Yup #3! Nice!

 

[Benco]

I like all of them, if I had to choose I think it would be three. I really like the bird and reflection in two bit it's just a bit too tightly cropped for my liking.

 

[shefjr]

I agree with everyone else. Number 3 is the winner!

 

[squirrels]

:hug::Thanks so much you guys! Sounds like we have a majority for number 3, but I think 2 might end up on Grandma's wall (without the pesky 2 reeds, coastalconn).

sm4him, I tried to sort out the reeds poking up issue on 3. Once you pointed them out, they looked so threatening. Ceeboy, I would have tried an option for Grandma without the foreground ground, but alas my talents are very limited. I had a hard enough time getting rid of reflections, much less adding new ones!

Original 3 with the reeds


Attempt at no reeds attacking


I'll see what Grandma says. I've almost talked her into joining TPF.

C

 

[Mully]

Yes for me 3 is the best...nice capture

 

[sm4him]

Yep, those weeds were about to poke that poor heron in the patootie!
Looks good without them.

 

[whosnut]

Nice flight shots! I like #3 and your edit looks great.

 

[MSnowy]

Nice set. I'd go with #3. I think you could also crop #2 up to the left top quarter and have a real nice shot of the heron just skimming the water.