Reddish Egret "on the hunt"

[gail bisson]

I am doing something I rarely do- and that is to post an image that I am "married" to! I love this shot. I feel like I am tucked under this guy's wing and fully participating in the hunt.
Another shot from the Hooptie Deux just after the sun set behind the trees and shadowed the area where the egret was.
canon 1D MK IV
f 4.0 500mm
ISO 1000
SS 1/2000
f 6.3
Almost full frame
Minimal PP in LR3 and CS5. I did not sharpen the JPEG for web as it looks really sharp as is.
Comments and critiques always appreciated and learned from with thanks,
Gail

[Morkel Erasmus]

I like the soft tones and the appealing POV here Gail (tucked under his wing is an apt expression).
What would have taken this to another level for me would have been:
a. slight head-turn (you knew that one was coming )
b. better rear wing position (ie seeing the primaries)

[dankearl]

The head angle does not bother me as the Egret is hunting and I am waiting for the strike!
Excellent detail and Comp.

[Daniel Cadieux]

I love the concentrated hunting pose, and I too do not mind the HA in this case (that is rare for me when it is angled away). I do agree about the far wing (but I love the primaries of the near wing), and I feel the image could use a boost in saturation.

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

I love the soft colors and great detail on the egret but I too would like slightly better ha

[christopher galeski]

very nice Gail,love the pose,soft colors,nice detail,you can feel the birds ready to strike.magic.

[Jeroen Stel]

Wonderful pose Gail. I always like the raised wing shots with Heron's unfortunately our Herons do not hunt like that (i guess due to the lack of sunshine...).
Well done!

greetings,

Jeroen Stel

[rajojomanik]

The intensity of the hunt is shown clearly with this shot. I'm good with the head angel as well.

Nicely done Gail. Btw, was this at DeSoto and where was I?

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Gail, lovely soft light, and yes, any additional sharpening may have created some crispies. I like the fishing pose, low perspective, and dont mind the slight away angle of the egret. I also like the softer pastel colours of the BG, and I feel this needs a touch of CW rotation. No one else has mentioned it.

[Melissa Groo]

I love the mood, the intensity, and the lovely BG here, Gail, and I am fine with the head angle as it's such an action shot. Nice job, and I can see why you're really fond of it.

[Frank Schauf]

Perfect in every way.

[Tin Man Lee]

Great moment captured! I love the background (sand?) which makes the image look 3D.