fstop11 Loc: Huntington Beach Ca

The Eyes have it Canon 7D and canon 100-400mm. Eldorado Park Long Beach ca

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

I have never seen such green lores on a Black Crowned Night Heron.
Green lores around eyes is how the Green Heron got its name.
Image #1 looks like an immature Green Heron:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Green_Heron/id
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/post/42326225

And not to be too picky, but none of these birds are BIF nor BOW.

birdpix Loc: South East Pennsylvania

The top bird is a Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron. I have many photos of juvi's with green lores. The other two are Adults BCNHs who sometimes show a little green tinge to the lores. Green Herons have a yellow eye, not red as in these examples. I think the problem here is a little over amping of the saturation. Good, clear shots, just a little heavy on the Saturation slider.

While I appreciate your posting these pictures, we are really looking for photos of birds on or in the water because of the particular difficulty photographing them and their singular beauty when done well. So post some of your BIFs and BOWs!!!!

CJartist Loc: Ormond Beach

fstop11 were you at 400mm to get these? Love them

bhowdy Loc: Maryville, Tennessee

BCNH can have bright lime green lores when in breeding plumage.

fstop11 Loc: Huntington Beach Ca

Yes on the 400mm and I did amp up the saturation

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

Thank you. I have added this info to my birding education.

birdpix Loc: South East Pennsylvania

Here's where things become a matter of personal taste. If this was the effect you were trying to achieve then you were successful.

Personally, I try to keep things more natural looking as I will probably donate my collection to some educational institution, perhaps Cornell's Lab of Ornithology.

Since I shoot RAW, I need to increase the saturation because they come out of the camera pretty bland. Using LR, I frequently use the vibrance slider rather than the saturation one. Vibrance affects colors proportionately, meaning if a color is already very saturated it affects it less while increasing the saturation of less vivid colors. The saturation sllider is a blunt instrument, adding power to all colors, whether they need it or not.

One of the striking features of the Black-crowned Night Heron is its orange-red eye. Why not reduce the saturation of the background and partially the birds head while keeping the eye quite vivid? Not so much that it looks unnatural but I think this would focus attention on the eye.

Just a thought!

fstop11 Loc: Huntington Beach Ca

Good thought thank you

tcthome Loc: NJ

tcthome Loc: NJ