Black Crowned Night Heron

This heron was hanging out at the Palm Beach Zoo as do other nesting herons. He wasn't skittish at all and allowed to take his picture from close range.

I loved the shade of blue/green from its wing feathers that really stood out in the direct afternoon sun. I've never seen that shade of blue/green before on these birds.

1d Mark II + 70-200 2.8L @ 200mm hh
f/5.6
1/1600
Ev. @ -1 in Av mode
no flash
full frame

I burned out some of the blue water reflection patch to create a total black background.

I like the details and head angle. I would have stopped down more for wider DOF and might crop a bit off the bottom and add a bit canvas on the left. The light looks a bit harsh.

The dark BG works for me. Just wish for softer light.

Hey Michael....I like your basic image and thought I might play with it a bit. I cropped it a bit from the bottom and added S/H to bring out more detail in the feathers. Added Nik Bril & Warmth a small amount to give it a warmer look...Also added a bit more room on the right...