During my recent sojourn up north, I came across this very docile guy in the dunes along the beach below Ellwood Mesa in Goleta. I tossed my telephoto lens on the camera and took a series of shots, the one above being my favorite.
The bokeh -- the out-of-focus part of the photo -- might be a tad better. I'm not sure if that's a product of the Nikon 70-300mm lens, the lighting, my using it on a DX (cropped sensor camera) or a poor shooting decision on my part. I shot the above photo at f/8 in order to ensure the entire heron was in focus. Maybe the bokeh looks a little better if I had opened the aperture a little more.
I do like the lens -- I got mine used for about $470 and it's very sharp when properly focused, although there have been a few other times the bokeh could have been better. I suspect the bokeh is the product of all of the above. It's not a deal killer but something to keep in mind when framing shots.
A couple other shots of the same heron:
This one isn't bad but really only works if printed very large because the heron is small within the frame.
A pretty decent shot, too -- and the purple wildflowers in the background add a nice splash of color. But the bird's pose seems like something in a gazillion other photographs. The pose in the top photo is more original.
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--S.H.
These photos are ©Steve Hymon and may not be used elsewhere without my advanced written permission. All rights reserved.
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