Looking for Love...

[David Roach]

I went the other evening to try for those Lovers Bill has been having such luck with lately. I had been there when they were active but backlit in the morning. I arrived to pouring rain about 90 minutes before sunset. After a while the rain stopped and the low storm clouds moved west causing these lighting conditions. While the nest I was after was not active, this beauty was staking out a possible nesting site and displaying for a mate. Because the low storm clouds were blocking the setting sun, the heron was in soft diffuse light while the eastern sky was lit up by the setting sun. It was just about a backlit situation. I checked the histogram and put the sky right at the right edge of the histogram (+1 compensation) but not overblown. Does this work or is the heron too dark? Sure wish that branch across the lower body wasn't there.
1DMKIIN 100-400@300mm ISO 800 F5.6@1/2500

[Ramon M. Casares]

It looks a bit oversharpened, but I love the pose and comp. Congratulaitons!

[Axel Hildebrandt]

The pose and BG are great. I wish for a lower angle and the branch in front of the bird's chest is a bit distracting. I agree with Ramon regarding too much sharpening.

[David Roach]

Per your suggestions, I reprocessed with less sharpening. Since I reprocessed from raw other settings may not be exactly the same.

[Marko Matesic]

I like color of the sky and pose...repost looks better IMHO