I captured this image at Circle B Bar Reserve in Polk County, Florida. Comments and critique welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for viewing.
Nikon D500
Nikon 80-400mm F/4.5-5.6 VRII AF-S ED, camera and lens supported by a monopod
1/2500 F/8 Matrix Metering EV 0 ISO 900 Auto 1 WB, image captured at 400mm
Post processed in Lightroom Classic, Photoshop CC 2020 and Neat Image for noise reduction when needed, cleaned up smudges of vegetation from the surface of the water
Cropped for composition and presentation
P.S. Learn more about Circle B Bar Reserve in the BAA Middle Florida Photography Site Guide co-authored by Artie and I. It is available at this link The BAA Middle of Florida Site Guide
Joe Przybyla
"Sometimes I do get to places just as God is ready to have somebody click the shutter"... Ansel Adams
I'm oddly OK with the higher vantage point here as we see the concentric circles very well from up here. Great colours, of course. Perfect sharpness. The blacks on the head seem washed out (the eye's pupil as well), some burning would fix that. The image also needs some CCW rotation to my eye.
Gotta love those Florida colors. Perfect pose, great detail, and the drop is a bonus. To nitpick, it might benefit from just the slightest CCW rotation and just the slightest NR on the BG.
So envious you have access to this beautiful bird! None here in CA! Lighting and color are perfect, and I agree about a bit of CCW rotation. Sharpness is about 9.5/10, and I like that
we can see a bit of the scaly leg coming out of the water. I'd prefer a lower angle. Only reason I shoot higher is to get a full reflection which hasn't happened here.
Thanks everyone for viewing and commenting, much appreciated. Responding to those who wished for a lower POV, it is not possible at Circle B Bar Reserve. The trails are on top of dikes that control water in the wetlands. And there is another thing in Florida that makes going to the waters edge dangerous, alligators. Every year people who are careless loose arms, legs or die from attacks. The ones you see you do not have to fear it is the ones that you don't see that might harm you. Thanks again everyone.
Joe Przybyla
"Sometimes I do get to places just as God is ready to have somebody click the shutter"... Ansel Adams