Lesser Yellowlegs - to crop or not?

[Bill Dix]

Yesterday morning at Jamaica Bay. I like the bg and the faint ripple extending out to the right, so I didn't crop close in to the bird(s). This is currently about 75% of full frame. Would it be better with a tighter crop?

D90 | 80-400 VR @ 370mm | ISO 640 | 1/1600s @ f/7.1 | -0.3 EV | HH

[Andrew Merwin]

Bill, I like this as presented. Its sharp, a good BG, the raised foot is a plus, & the falling water droplet is an added bonus. I also like the reflection. If you did any cropping, you might take some off the bottom, but I would keep the entire ripple.
Andrew

[denise ippolito]

Bill, Beautiful water color, pose and nice details. If it were mine I might crop just a little but it is lovely as presented. The water drop makes this special. I was out there today and really enjoyed my time w/ the yellowlegs.

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

Very nice image Bill, lovely subject and peaceful mood. Congrats.

[Deborah Harrison]

I would leave it as is, it's a wonderful image. By keeping the space on the right hand side the reflection is nicely balanced and the whole image has a natural feel. I also like the pattern in the water which forms an integral part of the image.

Just my two cents...

[Art Kornienko]

I sort of like it the way it is too, love the angle and reflection.

[Doug Brown]

The BG is so lovely that I wouldn't crop it at all. Looks great as presented!

[Thanaboon Jearkjirm]

I love the beautiful background with nothing to distract my eye away from the subject, so I would leave it as it is. This is really nice, and the droplets make this image even better!

[christopher galeski]

very good shot,like the water droplet,BG,nice shot,thanks.

[Stu Bowie]

Bill, great walking posture with the raised leg, and I like the HA too. The droplet puts this over the top, and good to see the reflection to. Yes, it is a killer BG, but I would still take a bit off the top and bottom.

[Bill Dix]

Bill, Beautiful water color, pose and nice details. If it were mine I might crop just a little but it is lovely as presented. The water drop makes this special. I was out there today and really enjoyed my time w/ the yellowlegs.

Thank you, Denise. I hope you'll be posting some of your yellowlegs images. I look forward to seeing them.

[Bill Dix]

Thank you all for your kind comments. It sounds as if I should keep one version as posted, and perhaps experiment with a second version with a minor crop - perhaps a slight pano? Thanks for looking.

[Jim Neiger]

Bill,

I think I would like it either way, but cropping in a bit tighter would display the bird and reflection with a bit more detail. I don't think the faint ripple adds anything to the image, so the tighter crop would be my preference. I really like the smooth colorful water and the nice reflection. The water drop and the eye contact between bird and reflection really add interest to the image.

[Nico Steenberg]

Great sharp detail and use of space. Like the angle and water drop. Subject is well exposed with good natural colours against a killer bg. Well done !