debbie_ferrell_smith Posted September 27, 1997 Share Posted September 27, 1997 I have had several opportunities to photograph a Green Heron. Most are are in morning hours or late evening on sunny days. With matrix metering my slides show no detail on the face, almost washed out and the colors on the body of the birds are much less brillant than what I am actually seeing. I believe they are over exposed, so I have tried spot metering the birds body. These show more detail, but the background goes black and the light brown area around the bill is still brilliantly light. How does everyone else get correct exposure on these little guys? <p> Thanks Debbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don_baccus Posted September 27, 1997 Share Posted September 27, 1997 As you've noticed, these little guys are quite contrasty when lit by the sun at low angles. This isn't a problem unique to green herons, golden eagles, for instance, have nearly bare skin at the base of the bill which is very reflective. <p> You could try bracketing in this light, using your spot meter, then pick the exposure which seems like the best compromise between taming the brilliant reflection around the face with the photon-sucking darker green back. <p> Another possibility is to shoot them on an overcast day. I think that light's very flattering for this species, and for the marshes in which they live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank_kolwicz Posted September 27, 1997 Share Posted September 27, 1997 As Don said, pick your light better. Shade or overcast is perfect for most birds. <p> For metering, I have found that the bird's back is a bit darker than a mid-tone, so, if you are spot metering, take that reading and close your aperture about 1/2 stop. This will not correct for bright sunlight, just get you close to the right exposure. If you are using matrix or other full-frame metering, it is important that the bird and the background be in similar light to avoid the excessive darkening you describe. <p> Regards, <p> Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_smith Posted September 28, 1997 Share Posted September 28, 1997 Try Fuji Astia or another film that is noted for lower contrast results. Then bracket a bit to see how it works best for you. If you can shoot when the birds are lit by high overcast the sky will act as a giant reflector & help cut contrast. Or, try fill flash & shoot from the side rather with the sun behind you. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_hansen Posted September 30, 1997 Share Posted September 30, 1997 When I first started taking green heron pictures I too was having a lot of them overexposed. I found that metering off of the brownish area around the neck worked I best. If i couldn't get that close I just average metered and then underexposed by one stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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