Roseate Spoonbill

[Joseph Przybyla]

I captured this image along Black Point Wildlife Drive in Merritt Island NWR, Merritt Island, Florida. Comments and critique welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for viewing.

Nikon D7000
Nikon 70-300mm F/4.5-5.6 VR AF-S ED shot at 300mm (450mm FFE)
1/500 F/8 Matrix Metering - 2/3 EV ISO 125 AWB
Post processed in Lightroom 6 and Photoshop Elements 10
Cropped for composition and presentation

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

At first glance you may want to consider a slight CW rotation. I think a lower POV would have been more beneficial.
The reflection is not really adding lots to the image and I think I am seeing a slight greenish cast too.
Love the colours of the bird, they are so bright. How was your exposure on the neck and the shoulder area (above the bright red bit on the wing)?
Just looks very bright.

Well done and thanks for sharing.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Joe, can't really comment on the colour/exposure as I'm away, but I would have liked to see a bit more SS and pushing the ISO to perhaps 400 would not have hurt. Love the vibrant/colourful reflection, very graphic, however if this is a crop, then moving the whole crop down I fell would help the balance with less above.

Interesting to see how we all see things differently based on Akos's reply, always good to have alternate POV's.

TFS
Steve

[Geoff Newhouse]

I like the shot, nice rich colours, good head angle. I would lose 2/3rds of the reflection as it is so chopped up that it is just a distraction.

TFS
Geoff

[Joseph Przybyla]

Hi Akos and Steve, thanks for viewing, commenting, and suggesting improvements. I combined both of your suggestions in this repost. I rotated the image a little clockwise and I fixed the bright shoulder (always amazed how one can look at a image many times and not see what another person sees immediately). I moved the crop slightly higher letting the reflection lead the eyes to the bird.

Akos, I do like the lower perspective but most of the birds I photograph are close and most of the areas I go to the photography is done from the top of dikes controlling the levels of water. It just does not offer a low perspective unless the bird is far away and one is using a very long lens combo. I just do not want to carry that much equipment around now, the camera I have now and the 80-400 is all the rig I want to carry now. Thanks for the suggestion which if the situation allows I will use.

Steve, now I would not use as low a shutter speed unless absolutely necessary. I captured this image at a time when I did not know better and was afraid of high ISO's. Now ISO is just a number as long as the image is properly exposed or over exposed slightly. Thanks for the tip and taking time to care.

Here is the repost...

[Steve Kaluski]

Your welcome Joe, if things are working out then great news, all the best.

Steve

[William Dickson]

Fab looking image Joe. I like the OP. Great colours throughout

Will