Great Egret 2: Mattamuskeet

[Bob Decker]

This is a second image of the Great Egret that was fishing in front of the photo blind at Lake Mattamuskeet. I used David Thomasson's edit of my first offering as a guide to post processing this image. Plant matter and ripples were cloned away via CS3 with a slight gradient added behind the bird. The bird was sharpened separately. Bigma @ 500mm, f/9.0, 1/500, iso 640.

[Anita Rakestraw]

Looks good, Bob, very clean! You could post a bit larger size, would be easier to see for some of us. ;):D

[Bob Decker]

Looks good, Bob, very clean! You could post a bit larger size, would be easier to see for some of us. ;):D

Ok, here's a little bigger then...

[Alfred Forns]

I like it Bob Good PS work If anything might give a little space for the ripple behind the bird You had a good base image to work with !!!!

[Gus Cobos]

Hi Bob,
I like the image and capture, you have good color rendition and fine details...another vote for more space on the left side of the frame...:cool:

[Lance Peters]

Hi Bob - looks good - another vote for more space on the LHS.
Keep em coming :)

[Bob Decker]

Thanks all. I'm not sure I understand the suggestion for more space on the left side, but here's a try at it. Rather than going back to the RAW file and reprocessing the entire presentation I added a bit of canvas to the left and trimmed a bit from the right to maintain size and the 2x3 perspective. As I look at them there is a little different feel to them. There's a bit more "tension" in the first I think. With that additional LH canvas it feels... I don't know... quieter? I kind of think I'd like the bird a little lower, as the gradient in the background almost creates a horizon and that horizon seems too high. But to do so I'd almost have to add canvas to the top and perhaps both sides to maintain perspsective and left/right position. But then my subject becomes smaller... Kind of becomes an open can or worms, doesn't it? ;)

[Thanaboon Jearkjirm]

Very nice PP, the added gradient in the background sounds very interesting. The two different crop gave me different feeling, the first one made me feel like the bird is lost in a vast body of water, while the repost have more of my attention on the bird. I like how white of the bird goes very well with color of the water. I might run a small NR on the darker area of the bird.

[David Thomasson]

Good work on these egret reflections. They would make nice prints.

[Gail Spitler]

I agree this image would make a lovely print. Nice work
Cheers
Gail