Purple Gallinule Frax and Simplify

[WIlliam Maroldo]

Sony A850~Sony 70-400G@400mm~ISO1000~1/1250 sec~F6.3~manual exposure~HH~overcast~4-4-2011~Brazos Bend State Park, Texas~CS5/Redfield Fractalius/Topaz Simplify 3
Two of my favorite birds, the purple gallinule and green heron, don't like our winters and migrate south. Its warming up and within the last few weeks they have been returning.
This image used simplify first, then fractalius. I also played around with saturation and color balance. I like the colors. comments and critique welcomed. regards~Bill

[denise ippolito]

Re: Denise; it is my opinion that symmetrical images should be centered; centered verically if only top/bottom symmetry is present. As a matter of fact symmetry may be the one compositional case where centering is appropriate.

Hmm.. This looks pretty centered to me yet I see no symmetry.I like the details and the warmth. I might tone down some of the bright areas. Nice pose.

[WIlliam Maroldo]

Thanks Denise! Hum. It could be too centered? I was trying to keep from clipping the vegetation on the right , other than that it seems roughly rule of thirds; subjects occupying the right 2/3, and it does need some adjustment. However, although compositionally I was thinking of the bird,what he is perched on, and the vegetation as the subject, if you consider the subject as only the bird, it does indeed occupy the center 1/3 horizontally of the ROT grid. Interesting point. Denise. Appreciate the feedback as always. Bill

[Brendan Dozier]

Like the pose & wild colors on this, Bill. Very interesting looking bird. Agree about toning down the bright areas.

[Andrew McLachlan]

Hi Bill, agree with previously mentioned comments, but also love the colors and pose, Nice Work!

[Christopher Miller]

Beautiful image, Bill. I love the pose, and the warm colors make it special. I agree with Denise that it looks rather centered, but I also agree with you on not cutting off the vegetation.