Thought I would give you a break from Egrets this charter is nesting about 3 feet from my Egret friend.
Vignette too much?
Hello, What an interesting bird in an interesting light. I do think the vignetting is too much here. Maybe it is because I don’t know this bird at all I am curious to see its natural setting. This is a great pose.
Thanks, @Robena.Sirett
below is the unedited file
remember I am not a birder so the documentary is not my interest
your thoughts
Steve
Thanks for reminding me…I appreciate you are going for something more artistic/fine art. Your first one is growing on me as I look at it. Maybe some vignette between first and second photo? I think I find the black area in top right too close to the bird. I feel I am doing you a disservice now… as I am not sure anymore! I do like the righness of colours and the work removing the branches in the top one. I find the light lovely!
Thanks Robena
Steve
Robena
Thanks again for your time
I backed off on the vignette and lightened up the dark BG on the upper right.
Brought down the burned-out right wing.
I going to also put this next to the original so they are easier to compare.
One of the hardest things I learned when I was at Brooks Institute, was no matter how hard creating the negative was, no matter how much time it took to make everything in the print perfect, what mattered was the story the image conveyed. A technically perfect image of a bird without emotion is just a snapshot of a bird or an illustration for a bird guide.
This one will definitely get me in trouble. If you speak to gallery owners as I do, you find out photographers do not buy photography. Collectors buy my work because it reaches an emotion.
Sorry for the soapbox this is not directed at you. Everything you have commited on my work has made it better.
Hi Steve
In the interest of art and birding I converted your photograph in Solver Efex Pro into a B&W.
Please comment.
Peter
Ps Your photograph are alway interesting.
Given your obvious background and my lack of one, I’m hesitant to offer advice, but I can say what I like. The vignetting works to really spotlight the anhinga with nice light. The intermediate vignetting seems very grey and doesn’t appeal to me. I like the pose and all the detail you have.
I appreciate your thoughts on an emotional response to photos. I think that is why my favourite photos tell a bit of a story. I am learning the art of critique is as hard as the art of photography. 
