Since I have never shied away from the unconventional I am posting this for comments and thoughts. I was photographing this Reddish Egret prancing fishing when it turned and ran away from me. Really interested in your views whether a bird always has to be facing towards the camera. Comments and critique welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for viewing.
Nikon D500
Nikon 80-400mm F/4.5-5.6 VRII AF-S ED shot at 400mm
1/2000 F/5.6 Matrix Metering EV +2/3 ISO 640 AWB, camera supported by a monopod
Post processed in Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC 2017
Cropped for composition and presentation
Joe Przybyla
"Sometimes I do get to places just as God is ready to have somebody click the shutter"... Ansel Adams
It's good to try stuff, and we should never shy away from experimenting. I like what you saw here, but I feel it would have worked better had the egret been perfectly symmetrical to the sensor. I also wish it was the head and wings that were in focus rather than the back and tail. Do not let this discourage you from being unconventional though, it keeps the creative juices flowing!
Joe, I like what you've tried here too and you may have noticed I'm partial to trying a few different things too. While I like what you've done here, I think sharper focus across the bird would have helped with the execution of this - especially the head which lacks sharpness to me. But please keep experimenting. I find it very refreshing.