Great Egret portrait in flight

[Bill Dix]

I was photographing a different bird on Chincoteague (2016), in late afternoon light, when this guy took off and flew in my direction. Too much lens for this grab shot, so I clipped the near wing and feet, and decided to crop a bit tighter.

D500, 500f4 + 1.4 TC, ISO 1250, 1/2500s @ f/8 manual.

[David Roach]

Love the title and composition. Great SH and view of that face. The whites look a little too gray. Perhaps brighten a tad. TFS

[John Mack]

Lovely light. I like the pose. Neat how the wing frames the head like that.

[Daniel Cadieux]

An unconventional composition, and it works for me! Nice light, and sharp. A bit smooth form NR perhaps?

[William Dickson]

Something different Bill...and it works for me...Love the light. It does look a wee bit 'painterly' but maybe that was the light conditions...Nice facial expression and I like how you caught the end of the bill on the edge of the wing.

Will

[Bill Dix]

Thank you all. I think most of that smoothness is from the lighting; it looks pretty much like that in the RAW file, except that I lifted shadows which may have increased the effect.