Smiley Face.

[Karl Egressy]

This guy looked like as if he/she was smiling, at least this is how I saw it.
Black-crowned Night Heron in habitat.
Thanks for looking.

Canon 1D MIV
ISO 800
1/1000 s
f 8.0

[Ivan Ellison]

Nice image, love the contrast in colours between the grey of the bird and the green bg and water. The red eye really stands out. I might just have taken some off the top a little too much for my taste.

[Karl Egressy]

Nice image, love the contrast in colours between the grey of the bird and the green bg and water. The red eye really stands out. I might just have taken some off the top a little too much for my taste.
Thanks Ivan, I was thinking about it. It would look a little better with less on the top. Lets' wait until people will find more problems and I'll correct them at once.

[hennieloots]

Hi Carl - amazing IQ and details on the heron. I like the pose and the open beak/smile sure makes it even greater. The eye and specifically the red in the eye caught my attention. IMHO I would tone down the saturation on the BG a tad, specifically in the lighter green in the upper part of the image. The water droplet on the end of the beak is just brilliant! TFS.
Regards
Hennie

[Melissa Groo]

Such gorgeous colors and detail on the heron, Karl, I love it. I am fine with the comp, but as Hennie says, perhaps desaturate the green just a bit so it doesn't compete so much with the more subtle colors on the bird. I love his expression too!

[jack williamson]

Excellent IQ and clarity and light! He does look like he is smiling, wonderful image, crop looks fine to me.

Jack

[Shawn Zierman]

The light quality is sweetness. Looks like low angled, slightly diffused light. The pose and image quality on the subject is as good as it gets imo...almost looks like a display one might see in a museum! Technicals look spot on, and I enjoy your composition too. Great image Karl.

[David Salem]

Wow Karl you sure are getting close to these Herons. Awesome detail in this one and I love the fact that it dose look like its smiling. Yes to toning down the greens a little but otherwise, a Killer Karl.

[Satish Ranadive]

Excellent image of smiling heron. I like the pose,colors and details on heron as well as shades of green in the BG and FG.
Love the red eye and composition.

Regards,
Satish.

[Karl Egressy]

Thanks for all the comments. Here is an improved version. I toned down the background and took a little off of the top.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Karl, great close up of a bird that always seems fairly skittish. I like your low shooting angle, open beak of the heron, and the pre-strike fishing pose. Another vote for desaturating the greens in the BG a touch more, and your repost sorts out the comp nicely. Well captured.

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

I love this Karl. The colors are outstanding and that is a very comical expression on the heron. Prefer the repost myself

[Marina Scarr]

Your repost is killer, and I wouldn't desat any more than you already have. Your details are just amazing, Karl, and love the expression and all the environment.

[Frank Schauf]

Beautiful portrait, great pose and colors.

[Jim Crosswell]

Great image Karl! I like the red eye, pose, smiley face, IQ and setting. Repost looks excellent. Glad I didn't miss this one.

[BobbyPerkins]

Fantastic job on the repost! This is a stunner of an image. I love that open mouth expression an popping red eye, great details & color. Nice summer swamp green eviroment yet such a nice clean open shot. Congrats. I love these secretive birds, and difficult to find let alone capture around here.