What an ending....

[David Roach]

After spending the first few hours after dawn at Anhinga trail on a beautiful but quiet morning (water level was high), I went for my usual drive in my covertible down the main road in ENP with my trusty rig riding shotgun. I spotted this young beauty in a dwarf cypress right at the edge of the swale. I stopped the car on the other side of the two lane road and began my work with car as a blind. Then I decided to be greedy and try to get closer on foot. This beauty let me within15ft (I couldn't believe it!). In fact I went back to the car and he was still there eyeing me inquisitively. It was 9:00am with the last of the good morning light. What an ending to a beautiful morning!
1DMKIIN 400DO 1.4xtc ISO 400 f8@1/1600

[Bee Emily]

What a great shot. I wish the image had more room to the left. I love the feather detail and the eye!

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Lucky you, I wish the raptors were as cooperative around here. I like the eye contact and would crop a bit off the right and add some room at the left. You could try to lighten the shadow above the eye. A lower angle would have been nice, just a few steps backward can make quite a difference.

[bill kominsky]

Great shot, eye contact and feather detail, angle really doesn't bother me, nicely done.

Bill

[Fabs Forns]

Don't they love to pose on the road?

Great detail in the face. I'd crop some off the right.

[David Roach]

Even though it was just at the end of good light, that shadow from the jutting brow is hard from a cloudless south florida morning. Lightening it does not bring back detail. He was only about 10ft up in the tree (tells you how close I was); thus the up angle. I don't mind it on raptors as it seems to further emphasize there majesty. I had no more on the left, so I simply cropped from the right. Thanks as always for the learnings.