Green Heron Yum Yums

[MARINERMAGNUM]

I shot this sequence in a ditch a few miles from home. I captured 120 images of this event which lasted 20 minutes and thought I would share some here. Luckily I was close enough for the 200mm.

All with Canon 30D,70-200mm F 2.8L IS

Found you!

This restaurant is too crowded!

Ahh, alone at last,just the two of us.

Go ahead and take my picture,it's yum yum time.

Glurk

The deed is done. Processing time.

[JR777]

You just can't get any better than that. Absolutely brilliant photos.

[dockothebay]

Amazing! Outstanding! WOW!!!!

[mmeyer]

Those are fantastic MM!!!! All around awesome. You're really giving that new lens a work out aren't you.

Thanks for sharing those.

[Dbl]

Wow!!!! Fantastic sequence MM. Great work.

[finnbay]

Incredible shots!

[huntnfishsd]

Unbelievable...amazing work!!

[mountaindew]

Awesome!! Those are excellent shots! Great Job!

I'm amazed you're able to get close enough with the 200mm. That's just incredible! I can't get that close without them flying away. You did an amazing job.

[mcary]

It's settled, I'm moving to Northeastern Iowa. Land where critters in the ditch wait patiently and go about their business for photographers using less than typical focal lengths. Beautiful shots by the way! Hopefully my little rant properly portrayed the hint of jealously that is welling up in my heart right now as I sit in Duluth (where snow was flying today) with a broken wrist and no time to take photos. Nice captures!

[jiggin pig]

I maybe no camera nut, but those are awesome pictures. Thank you for sharing. Like I have always said. I always look forward to this forum. great job guys. Maybe one of these days I will get a decent digital.

[broodwich]

amazing!!!!

[WCS]

Great shots MM. You were in the right place at the right time with the right equipment and the skills to pull it off.

[LeeKen]

MM, Stay by the phone! National Geo is calling!

[Catmendo]

Great pic's...absolutely amazing!

[Steve Foss]

MM, simply a wonderful series of captures. I like them all immensely, and the flying-away shot is very cool.

All are sharp, well composed and excellent examples of the predatory bird in its environment.

And simply more evidence of what we already know: In most cases it's the photographer and his/her woodscraft skill that's more important than the gear. Great job getting into 200mm land with a wild bird and staying there!

Of course, like Michael, I wouldn't mind if you sent that heron up to Ely, and you could always get it to stop by Duluth on the way so Michael can get his shots first. I'm not greedy.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Like STf said, the straight away fly shot is awesome, all are... Great picts to say the least! Thanks for sharing!

[Royce Aardahl]

sweet shots!

[buzzsaw]

That was impressive! Nice work!!

[MN Shutterbug]

Super duper shooting. I love action shots that tell a story.

[dukhnt]

Everyone of them are great. Nice work.

[MARINERMAGNUM]

I appreciate all the positive feedback from you folks!

I must admit though,I do also feel a little guilty as well. Like I said I captured about 120 images of this sequence and held the best 12 or so back for a nature enthusiast who buys prints from me from time to time. His only condition is that he gets to see them 1st,and if he buys them-thats it,they're his. But nonetheless,the ones I held back just depict a little more motion and graphic gore,and they are sharper images which tend to print better. Again,thanks to all.

Steve is also right on the money-all those 30 years of stalking all kinds of game and trying to "outquiet them" is paying off. When I can sneak up on a Turkey-I'll be satisfied.

[mmeyer]

I wouldn't feel guilty about that MM. A paying customer trumps this old crowd any day! Seriously though, I would think a person could sell anyone of those that you posted so I can only imagine how good the others are!

Thanks again for sharing

[Steve Foss]

MM, if you manage to sneak up on a turkey, WE HAVE TO TALK!

 Originally Posted By: MARINERMAGNUM

. . . held the best 12 or so back for a nature enthusiast who buys prints from me from time to time. His only condition is that he gets to see them 1st, and if he buys them-thats it, they're his.

Are you saying that if your client buys those prints you will never, ever make more of the same prints to sell? Ever? That you will never reproduce them in any way for promotion or publication? That they are essentially off the market forever?

If so, that's the equivalent of his buying your copyright for those images. Buying copyright is a huge money deal most often done by corporations who want to use an image in perpetuity, and in that case after the photographer sells the copyright and delivers the images, he/she deletes their own files.

And please don't think I'm at all trying to tell you your business. But we're talking $50,000 to over $100,000 per image in many cases when someone buys a copyright, because buying the copyright ends the photographer's ability to ever again profit from the image. If you are simply selling him print enlargements for, oh $40 to $200 depending on print size and will never again sell those images, you are giving up thousands in potential future income.

Even when I have performed private commission photography under contract for some clients, I have retained copyright, which allows me to use the images for display and promotion and, depending on each contract, for additional print sales.

And if you retain the ability to later display or use the images for promotion, but not for sale, you are essentially producing a limited, numbered edition of ONE PRINT each, and that also implies a much higher price.

Anyway, you got my heart beating fast with the way you worded that, and I don't mean to come on too strong. If I did, and if you already know all this, I'm very sorry. This sounds too much like a lecture, my friend. Again, sorry.

And again, these are great images!

[MARINERMAGNUM]

Steve,I basically told him that he would have to pay for the 70-200, to which I think he will do. I will indeed give up the copyright to those 12 images,but...I always hold back about 6 more that no one knows about.

He is the only person I would ever make this kind of deal with. He has more money than he could ever spend [retired business owner-deep in the 7 figures],so I'm not worried about him trying to score a buck on me. He is around 80 years old and knows nothing of the selling of images,copyrights,etc. He doesn't even own a computer!

I have known him for 35 years and he is a close family friend who has done alot for wildlife in his lifetime.

He comes from a forgotten era where your word is better than a contract,and I respect him immensely for that.

He just likes hanging originals on his wall to enjoy and look at everyday. All the ones I have sold him in the past are on the walls of his house. I get them printed and framed for him and he chooses a spot and hangs them up.

[Steve Foss]

Oh thank God. I just had this vision of an online friend of mine being taken for tons and tons of money!

I'll tell you, printing up those images and giving up the right to re-sell them, when you've got others pretty much just like them, and getting the $1,600 price of the 70-200 f2.8L IS from him, is not bad, and can be a good way to finance gear.

Good for you that you have a benefactor like that.

Plus, it's sort of poetic justice that you captured the images that he'll buy to pay the cost of the the 70-200 with the very lens he's funding. Cool!