Hunting -- black-crowned night heron

[wendell westfall]

D90 70-200VR+2X@400 1/500 f5.6 ISO1000 +2/3EV handheld

This photo was taken this morning at 9AM -- slightly overcast conditions. It was one of many I took, but seemed to me the best example of the apparent intensity these herons display when hunting. It is standing on a bank looking into a pond. The image is almost as it came out of the camera, only a slight cropping and tweaking in LR3 applied. I'd like to take suggestions for changes I might have made -- I considered erasing the greenery and blurring the dark area just above the bird's neck. Please bring on your suggestions for image improvement.

Wendell

[Arthur Morris]

Overall too light. Needs a big crop from the bottom (which adds nothing to the image...) Crop from just above the tiny plant on the bank. The bird is angled slightly away from you. Nothing that you could have done after the fact. Moving to your left in the field would have helped somewhat. The brighter highlights in the swirling water could be either toned down or eliminated. Lastly adding BLACK to the WHITEs in Selective Color could tame the light dirt a bit. I do like the intensity of the pose and the heron.

[Fabs Forns]

Artie fully covered all the points. The long neck is really showing on the view and made a little darker would help the image improve tons. TFS, Wendell.

[Arthur Morris]

BTW, the bird in the image is an adult Green Heron :)

[wendell westfall]

Artie and Fabs: I could not have asked for a better response! Thanks for your suggestions; I will happily implement them. And a Green heron . . . I even had that wrong. 'Preciate your help . . .

[Arthur Morris]

YAW. We have a good team here :) And are always glad to help.