Last year, as many of you know, I wrote some posts about this drainage ditch in front of an empty K-mart Building near here. There was usually then a constant flow down the arroyo so there was many water birds that frequented there. Herons, Sandpipers, Egrets, etc. But for the last year or so, since this drought got a huge foothold over west Texas, it has been dry as a bone.
Not so, right now. Since we got about three inches in the area about a week ago there is a little water back in there. So it was a pleasant surprise when we drove by there, on our way home from picking up breakfast from the Golden Arches, that we spotted a Yellow-crowned Night Heron. He was back-lit from the morning sun and the light wasn’t perfect, but with a little post-processing I came up with these usable images.
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
- Canon EOS 7D
- Canon 100-400mm zoom lens
- 1/125 sec. @ f6.3 – minus 1/3 EV adjustment
- ISO 400
- Lens focal distance 400mm
- Metering – spot
- Aperture priority
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
- Canon EOS 7D
- Canon 100-400mm zoom lens
- 1/200 sec. @ f6.3 – minus 1/3 EV adjustment
- ISO 400
- Lens focal distance 400mm
- Metering – spot
- Aperture priority
One thing that I have gotten used to, it to adjust my EV to minus 1/3. I like to use that as my default, or starting point, rather than no adjustment. I like the way my tonal qualities are just a tad under exposed, I guess. I am not saying I am right, but it’s something I prefer to do. I didn’t used to do that, and I am not really sure when I started doing it.
By the way, the heron was gone later in the afternoon when I drove by there again. I’ll keep my eyes on it. Click on either image to see an enlargement.
Texas Tweeties by Bob Zeller 
What you call “usable”, I call GREAT! I have learned so much from you, I have also learned that an EV adjustment of -1/3, it does tend to give better exposure results (unless shooting at night).
Thanks so much, Holly. You are too nice. I am glad to have been an influence on your photographic education. And I thank you for sharing your computerese techie info, too. 🙂
Beautiful bird, Bob. Isn’t it amazing how they adapt to mans changes? I also start with a -1/3 EV as my default. Like you, I like how the tones come out.
Thanks for commenting, Ted. It’s also amazing how you and I think alike. I was browsing your profile. When I studied photography, my intentions were to just be a good photographer. I didn’t want to work for a magazine, or newspaper, and have to take assignments. I, like you, had no interest in photographing people, i.e. portraits, school photos, etc. I also, like you, knew that was where the money was. So I just settled on doing what I like. I have been lucky to sell my work at art shows, and the like. I have had a few magazines contact me and bought my work, but those are few and far between.
Actually, I did make my most money just setting up displays at arts and crafts shows. But, now at my age of 76, it started getting to be too much work, physically. I had to take a smaller trailer to the show venue, unload it and set up which usually took about 2 hours to do it properly. Then on Sunday evening, tear it down and re-load the trailer for the trek back home.
Now, I sell mostly from word of mouth. But, I don’t press it so much anymore. After all, I need to have time to just have fun and take photographs.