Great Egret in Marshland

[Al Brown]

Hello,

I shot this Great Egret a short time ago, in Mill Creek Marsh, Secaucus, NJ. I got down along the marsh's bank for a better angle. I didn't have waders so getting any lower was not an option. PP consisted of cropping, body sharpening, saturation adjustment & some whites correction with Levels. The bird sat still for about 2 minutes before a Retriever and its master scared it off. Comments are appreciated, always looking to improve.

The Stats:

Setup; Sony A700 & Sigma 150-500 DG APO HSM

500mm
F8
ISO 160
1/4000th
Manual Exposure
Spot Metering
Auto WB
Handheld

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5177/5596599740_e25880ea3c_b.jpg

[Ian Cassell]

Al, you handled the whites on this difficult bird very well. I think the comp may be slightly tight, but see what others say. The contrast of the bird against the dark water works well for me.

[Kerry Perkins]

Hi Al, excellent capture and super job on the exposure! I agree that it feels a little tight in frame, and I would wish for more room on the left and bottom (for the virtual feet!). Good head angle and eye contact and excellent color rendition. I really like the look of that Sony camera.

Could you explain how you used spot metering for this shot?