Great Blue Heron

[Joseph Przybyla]

A portrait that's a little different from the norm. I was walking along one of the dikes/trails at Circle B Bar Reserve in Polk County, Florida when this Great Blue Heron raised it head up to see what was nearby. I got down to level and square to the bird and got a couple frames before the head retreated back into the grass. Comments and critique welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for viewing.

Nikon D7000
Nikon 80-400mm F/4.5-5.6 VRII AF-S ED shot at 290mm
1/2000 F/8 Matrix Metering EV -2/3 ISO 360 AWB
Post processed in Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC 2017
Cropped slightly for composition and presentation

[gail bisson]

Heron looks great but BG appears quite pixelated and blotchy. I would try a bit of gaussian blur to see if you can remove it.
Good comp and presents an accurate feel of the environment we often find these guys in.
I might be tempted to "trim" long blade of grass under the chin,
Gail

[Alex Becker]

Hi Joseph, nice portrait. I agree with trimming that long blade and also that red spot if you can near the neck. It's not a huge deal but I do find myself looking at it. Details and exposure look good through. TFS

[Glenn Pure]

Really striking detail that's well contrasted against the dark blue background, Joe. I love these tight, close shots that show off the finer details. In that regard, I think it would lift this if there had been a bit more detail visible in those white patches on the lower neck of the bird but the rest of the tone and colour looks wonderful here. Your framing and composition work for me. Not too bothered by the grass blades across the bird. In different circumstances, it might have been nice to have had a lot more of the grass and shrubbery to really give a feel of the bird poking its head out of 'nowhere'.

[Joseph Przybyla]

Thanks everyone for viewing and commenting, very much appreciated.