Great Egret

[Joseph Przybyla]

I captured this portrait of a Great Egret at Gatorland in Orlando, Florida a week ago today. Comments and critique welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for viewing.

Nikon D7000
Nikon 70-300mm F/4.5-5.6 VRII AF shot at 230mm (345mm FFE)
1/400 F/8 ISO 100 -1 EV on monopod, cropped for composition, post processed in Lightroom 5

[Alan Murphy]

I love the light and breeding plumage. The pose itself lacks alertness for me.

[Hazel Grant]

looks like it's deep in thought. a tight crop. I think I'd remove the shadow line on the beak.

[keith mitchell]

Like the relaxed pose with the fluffed up feathers, looks like a great job on the whites.

Keith.

[Karl Egressy]

Nice portrait with beautiful breeding colors, Joe.

[Sidharth Kodikal]

Beautiful details and breeding plumage, Joe. Has he not found his mate yet? appears to be sulking

[gail bisson]

I have come back to this image a couple of times.
I think I would crop this in from the left to an inch from the shoulder.
I don't like the blue tint in the whites from the shadows and cropping them out solves the problem.
You have a bit of green bleeding into the whites on some of the head feathers so would address that. It may have come from your selection during NR. You might have to feather your selection more precisely.
The IQ is good and I like the resting pose, HA and the light on the front of the egret,
Gail

[Joseph Przybyla]

Thank you all for viewing, commenting and offering suggestions to improve my image. I truly appreciated your interest and help.

Sidharth, yes he or she did have a mate. I think the sulking was because I was pointing the camera it's direction.

Gail, the blue in the shadows bothered me also. I like you idea for a crop. I addressed the green with the green fringing tool in Lightroom, almost all is gone.