Egret Hunting

[Nagesh Mula]

Hi Everyone,
Its been a long time since I posted any image. But now that the things have settled down, I promise to be more of a regular visitor :).
I made this picture last year. It was interesting to see the way in which these guys hunt.
In this picture I liked the pose and composition.
I would like to hear your opinion on droplets (are they distracting or constructing ?), should I take off the sheen from the leg or keep it like that? and lastly I would also like to know your opinion of the BG (Is it distracting, if yes then how can I improve it). Also, any additional comments/ critiquing is always welcome.

Shot with EOS 30D, 100-400mm lens @ 400mm.
EC - -2/3
Av - f/6.3
Tv - 1/2000
ISO - 200

Thanks for looking at my picture,
Nagesh Mula

[Graham Smith.]

Nagesh, this is a great action shot! The water droplets are not distracting at all. They are what makes this photo so nice (IMO). The BG is very appealing too. The outstretched wing is interesting, but I think it would've been preferable if he kept his arms down, or maybe higher so his head wasn't in the shadows.
Great shot - congratulations!

[Randy Stout]

Nagesh:

Graham covered it pretty well

1)Drops are good, adds to sense of motion/action
2) Background pleasant
3) I would reduce leg sheen

The wing position/shadow is the biggest problem. Although the wing up adds to the sense of motion and action, the shadow is a significant negative. You might be able to bring up the shadows somewhat with shadow protection, if not already done.

From a compositional standpoint, probably don't need quite as much room to the left. The action is directed downward, so a modest amount to the left probably fine, perhaps 2/3rds of existing space.

Thanks for sharing!

Randy

[Juan Aragonés]

Nagesh, I mostly agree with Graham. The water drops are outstanding and I agree about the wing position but do not mind about the sheen on the leg.

[Ramon M. Casares]

Love it! Great action shot, lovely light, detail, exposure, and comp, IMO the wing goes very well with the action so I like it :)
Congratulations!

[Randy Stout]

Nagesh:

I brought up the shadows a bit under the wing and on the head. It is a modest improvement, but I think it is a bit better.

Randy

[Nagesh Mula]

Thanks Randy, I like the modified version.

[Mark Fuge]

I like it. The second one is an improvement, but I like the image. The wing does not bother me at all as that is how they hunt. They use the wing to shade the water to help them find the fish. If anything it might have been better to be able to see both wings shading. But youi can only shoot what they give you.

I also like the water droplets. It give the image life.

Nice true action image.

[Stu Bowie]

Lovely low angle, and well timed to capture him fishing. Although the raised wing is creating a shadow, it adds to the image. The splash works well, and I like the colours in the BG.

[Arthur Morris]

I like the droplets, I would lose the leg shine, and the BKGR is fine. Because the eye was clear of the droplets I did not even notice the shadow but Randy's repost is an improvement.