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Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: What Makes Me Happy (Standard Editing)
Collection: Challenge Stuff
Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M1
Lens: Olympus 150mm f/2.0 Zuiko Digital
Location: Lake Livingston, Texas, USA
Date: Apr 1, 2017
Aperture: 5.6
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/1600
Galleries: Nature, Birds
Date Uploaded: Apr 9, 2017

 A Great Blue Heron (Ardea Herodias) in full breeding plumage hunting in the rapids below the Lake Livingston Dam, Livingston, Texas, USA.

I got to this area via my kayak while fishing but the current was bouncing me around the rocks to much. So, I got out of the kayak and was laying in the water while watching about 100 Great Blue Herons hunt below the dam........the water was around 65 degrees, so after a few hours I was pretty cold and decided to call it a day.

[Apr. 11th, 2017 04:04:42 PM]

I should also add that I was using my 2x TC to make the lens 300mm and with the crop factor gives the same field of view as a 600mm lens.

Statistics
Place: 15 out of 60
Avg (all users): 5.9800
Avg (commenters): 7.5000
Avg (participants): 5.6538
Avg (non-participants): 6.3333
Views since voting: 565
Views during voting: 84
Votes: 50
Comments: 3
Favorites: 0

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AuthorThread
Nikon D500
Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II
 04/21/2017 02:31:22 PM
Greetings from the Critique Club!
I'm not sure laying in cold water for hours is something that would make me happy but catching this image certainly would. It's so much fun to watch birds as they hunt, so I can see how this makes you happy and meets the challenge. :) I love how the coolness of the water comes through and balances with the warmth of the yellows and browns in the background and on the heron. Great focus on the heron to capture the feather details. The clarity of the bird with a soft-focused fore and background definitely works. The perspective is also great. Laying in that water paid off! I wish I had some constructive advice to offer here but I'm stumped ... I mean, shoot ... you can see the eyes on the fish! How can I argue with that?!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
Nikon Z7II
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
 04/16/2017 06:52:08 PM
Nice catch.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D700
Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8
 04/11/2017 03:22:32 PM
Fabulous image, crystal clear.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
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