Reddish Egret... Breeding Color and Plumage

[Joseph Przybyla]

I captured this image at a stop along Blackpoint Wildlife Drive in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on Merritt Island, Florida. 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
1/1600 F/5.6 Matrix Metering EV +1 ISO 2800 Auto 1 WB, image captured at 500mm (750mm 35mm Equivalent)
Post processed in Lightroom Classic 12.3
Cropped from horizontal to vertical for composition and presentation

[Daniel Cadieux]

A good look at the "mane". I'd be perhaps tempted to lighten the eye and its surroundings just a tad - personal preference really - but otherwise solid portrait IMO.

[Joseph Przybyla]

A good look at the "mane". I'd be perhaps tempted to lighten the eye and its surroundings just a tad - personal preference really - but otherwise solid portrait IMO.

Hi Dan, thank you for viewing, commenting, and suggesting improvements, much appreciated. Looking at the image after reading your comments I thought the image was dark overall. Here is a edit raising the exposure by about 0.5.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Joe a nice portrait with all those loose feathers been moved by wind ( I guess ) .
OP does look good to me in terms of tones ... no need for lightening anything , personal taste .
I just think it is too tight on top and LHS .

TFS Andreas

[Joseph Przybyla]

Hi Joe a nice portrait with all those loose feathers been moved by wind ( I guess ) .
OP does look good to me in terms of tones ... no need for lightening anything , personal taste .
I just think it is too tight on top and LHS .

TFS Andreas

Hey Andreas, thanks for viewing and commenting, much appreciated. Here is an edit... back to the original tones and more on the left and top. I wasn't sure how much you thought on the left and top but this looked good to me. Thanks again...

[Brian Sump]

Joe, very striking pose. This Reddish is like a runway model of the lagoon

I like the rich tones in the OP a lot. Very nice color pop on the beak in an otherwise very neutral image. Daniel's suggestion for the eye is a good one.

Also, do agree with Andreas. My reaction is that it was tight up top, so you could try moving the whole image up and make that next wave of neck feathers to be the base and have more room up top.

Sharpness and detail is otherwise great.

[Joseph Przybyla]

Joe, very striking pose. This Reddish is like a runway model of the lagoon

I like the rich tones in the OP a lot. Very nice color pop on the beak in an otherwise very neutral image. Daniel's suggestion for the eye is a good one.

Also, do agree with Andreas. My reaction is that it was tight up top, so you could try moving the whole image up and make that next wave of neck feathers to be the base and have more room up top.

Sharpness and detail is otherwise great.

Hi Brian, thank you for viewing and commenting, much appreciated.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Pane 5 looks best from my POV, lovely tones and details.