Reddish Egret

[Joseph Przybyla]

I captured this image at stop along Blackpoint Wildlife Drive in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Merritt Island, Florida. This bird was hunting fish, running back and forth over the flats. I believe it raises it's wings to cut the glare to see fish, but maybe also to cast a shadow. Comments and critique welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for viewing.

Nikon D500
Nikon 500mm PF, camera and lens supported by a Oben carbon fiber monopod with a Wimberly MonoGimbal head
1/2000 F/5.6 Matrix Metering EV +1 ISO 2500 Auto 1 WB, image captured at 500mm (750mm 35mm Equivalent)
Post processed in Lightroom Classic, Photoshop CC 2022 and Topaz Denoise AI
Cropped for composition and presentation

[Jonathan Ashton]

I really like this the pose is so elegant, yet the eye conveys a predator in action. I would suggest a little Texture and Clarity to the water, it ads a little detail and contrast.

[Andreas Liedmann]

I really like this the pose is so elegant, yet the eye conveys a predator in action. I would suggest a little Texture and Clarity to the water, it ads a little detail and contrast.

Hi Jon .... just for my interest , what would be the benefit of your " new favorite tools " in this image ??? Both amplifying noise or creating artifacts even at low settings ..... why would one add texture to low frequencies ???? .
If you want to add contrast and stay inside LR I would recommend using Dehaze and for sure not Texture / Clarity .

Cheers Andreas

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Joe ... a very fine capture on all counts.
You did well with the flat boring light .
Love the concentrated look of the Egret and the arched wings .... does look great to me .

Very cool image and TFS Andreas

[Jonathan Ashton]

Hi Jon .... just for my interest , what would be the benefit of your " new favorite tools " in this image ??? Both amplifying noise or creating artifacts even at low settings ..... why would one add texture to low frequencies ???? .
If you want to add contrast and stay inside LR I would recommend using Dehaze and for sure not Texture / Clarity .

Cheers Andreas

Andreas I take your point, DeHaze is pretty good but you have to be careful with the darker areas......... but having tried it I did not create objectionable noise

[Andreas Liedmann]

Andreas I take your point, DeHaze is pretty good but you have to be careful with the darker areas......... but having tried it I did not create objectionable noise

Before we get hung up here with the techie stuff in Joe's thread , check your e-mail

[Joseph Przybyla]

Hi Jon and Andreas, I read both of your comments regarding the water/background in the image. Maybe why Jon thinks I should add detail/contrast to the water is because I lowered the contrast on the water. I masked the subject and then inverted the mask so I was processing only the water/background and then lowered the contrast. The light from the overcast day was so flat I was having trouble with the subject getting lost and not standing out. Not sure if it was the right way but the subject then became more prominent. Thank you both for viewing and commenting.