Bird Photo Competition 2 2017 : Entry Number 9

Judges Comment

Ignoring the birds in this image for a moment, what we see is a dark and dingy mangrove swamp which, although evocative and nicely three-dimensional, is decidedly lacking in points of interest. This situation mirrors our experience of natural environments in the real world which, however beautiful, seem somehow lacking without the presence of birds or animals. Also reflecting our real-world experience, the more you look within this scene, the more birds you see (you should be able to see at least ten). Best among them, though, is obviously the beautifully posed and positioned flying bird on the frame's centre-line, the white plumes of which bring light to an otherwise murky setting. A great example of the increasingly-popular 'birdscape' genre.

Photographers Comment

I made this picture on a foggy January morning at Lake Martin in Breaux Bridge, La. There were many birds gathered:egrets, herons and cormorants. I wasn't standing exactly where I had hoped to be as other photographers had beat me to the spot. I was between trees and bushes, but yet, it still seemed to be the perfect spot to capture this moment, when the egret ascended into the air. I used a Canon 7D mark ii with the Tamron SP 150-600mm g2 lens. The ISO was 1000, with f/9 and 1/250 shutter. The focal length was 150mm.
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