Creativity: Roseate Spoonbill

[Fabs Forns]

Captured at the Alligator Farm last month. There were quite a few around, in fact, they have chick as of now. This one was guarding the nest, as you come in to the rookery. Bushes placed in front of the lens. Green evened out a bit.

Model: Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Lens (mm): 260 (100-400L)
ISO: 1250
Aperture: 5.6
Shutter: 1/320

Comments appreciated.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I like the inclusion of the foreground foliage, soft light and eye contact. Have you tried a crop with a bit more room at the bottom to include the entire tail?

[Fabs Forns]

I like the inclusion of the foreground foliage, soft light and eye contact. Have you tried a crop with a bit more room at the bottom to include the entire tail?

The image, it deteriorated after the crop :(
Thanks!

[Scott Frye]

I like the detail in the whites and that red really stands out - the bird is in a vegetation frame and I might trim some off the right just to see what it looks like with the natureal vegetaion frame

[Vladimir Ivanov]

I also vote for crop, composition looks unstable. I like natural frames, but in this image foreground foliage looks like painted with green brush in post-processing. Less sharpening on feathers also will looks better.

[Joe Senzatimore]

I like it as posted. love how the vegitation frames the subject , yet doesn't compete with it.

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

fabs, loved the color wash and the sharpness on the bird. Did you try with tad more room on the left side? you probably had some distracting sunlit leaves there?

[Fabs Forns]

Thanks everyone. As for the crop, I tried to get all distracting elements out with the crop.
Also, eye was paced as close to the rule of thirds as possible.

[arash_hazeghi]

The image, it deteriorated after the crop :(
Thanks!

Deteriorated in what way?

[Fabs Forns]

Deteriorated in what way?

Meaning not presentable :)

[arash_hazeghi]

Meaning not presentable :)

looks great with lots of detail as presented.

[Harshad Barve]

I really liked this very much as posted
TFS

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Does that mean this is like a 50% crop? IAC, it looks fine as presented. Really dreamy feel with the gorgeous OOF foliage. Congrats Fabs. :)

[Raymond Barlow]

beautiful image, and superbly artistic!