Wikipedia:Featured picture candidates/Grey Heron (2nd nomination)

Grey Heron

Voting period is over. Please don't add any new votes. Voting period ends on 10 Mar 2012 at 00:48:46 (UTC)

Original – A wild grey heron (ardea c. cinerea) in London Zoo, with retracted neck

Alt-1

Alt 2 - As original without noise issues and higher (still) resolution

Image originally nominated

Reason: The first nomination for this image closed a while back with 6 supports (including nominator's), 4 opposes, a weak oppose and a neutral. Numerous alternate versions were uploaded (rather late in the voting period) which fixed several of the perceived problems (unnatural background colouring and beak too close to edge of frame). Crucially, all of the opposing votes were added before the first alternate image was added, and once the first alternate image was added the only votes cast were in favour. I was wondering if the result might have been different had the problems been fixed sooner and thought the best way to find out was to renominate.
Articles in which this image appears: Grey Heron
FP category for this image: Birds
Creator: God Emperor

Support alt 2 as nominator --God Emperor^Talk 00:48, 1 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Comment. I like the photo, but I still think my edit from the previous nom (Alt-1) is better. There are some serious noise and gradient issues in the background of your new version. However, the level of detail in the bird itself is much higher thanks to the higher resolution. There is definitely potential in this picture. O.J. (talk) 01:28, 1 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Comment The added EV seems to be in retraction of the neck; however, a before-and-after composite would be better to illustrate this. Papa Lima Whiskey 2 (talk) 17:12, 1 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]
- Comment. The image can easily be placed next to an one with a Grey Heron with neck extended for that purpose (as it is in the article). Making the image a composite would just restrict it's use. God Emperor^Talk 17:29, 1 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]
  - No, we've had noms like this before where the images were promoted as a set. Papa Lima Whiskey 2 (talk) 19:27, 1 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Question Why did the background change colour so much in the first place? Was it a saturation adjustment? JJ Harrison (talk) 06:14, 2 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]
- In my edit the hue and saturation of the background are adjusted. O.J. (talk) 11:08, 2 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]
- Did you not change the lightness as well? - I did in my edit in trying to get the same colour as you. I will redo the edit to sort out the noise when I have time. God Emperor^Talk 13:33, 2 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Support original and edit 2, neutral to edit 1. The original (and now, edit 2) gets the realistic color that I was looking for. Clegs (talk) 13:35, 2 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Added Alt 2. I resolved the noise issues and didn't resize at all this time. If people think it is too soft at full resolution I could downsize this to 2/3 like the original. God Emperor^Talk 22:55, 2 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Not Promoted --Makeemlighter (talk) 03:06, 10 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]