Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Image Critiques Avian Critiques
1

This Great Egret flew in with the other two Egrets I posted earlier. After it walked around the bank looking for breakfast, the Egret flew into the stream. The second shot shows it extending to full height just after fluffing out it’s festers.

What technical feedback would you like if any?

any

What artistic feedback would you like if any?

any

Pertinent technical details or techniques:

4-30-2020, 8:22 AM, Canon 7DII, Sigma 150-600mm, ISO 400, 302mm, F8, 1/2000, second shot, 8:24 AM, F8, 1/1000.
In both photos I clone out some out of focus reeds and adjusted the white in DxO PhotoLab 3
Thanks for stopping by.
Peter
(If backgrounds have been removed, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)

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_44A1621_Mb_DxO-14069×2712 2.48 MB

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2

I’m always amazed at how the egrets and herons can go from looking so elegant and poised in one shot to completely goofy in another. While I do appreciate goofy at times, I much prefer the first image here. Part of that is because of the patch of out of focus foreground grasses in the second that is distracting for me and partly because the background just doesn’t seem appealing to my eye.

3

Thanks for the comment. In the second photo the stream is at dead low tide. Normally at high tide the stream would fill to the top of the bank.
Peter
Ps
The goofy poise is the only reason I included shot.

4

I agree on the second shot. The first is a nice capture. Nice detail on the bird and good contrast with the background.

5

I pretty much agree with Dennis. Love the poofed up look of the egret and the whites look nice. A fine capture.

6

I like the walking pose in the first one. I like the pose and feather detail in the second, but I find myself focused on the background. Perhaps trying to blur the background would give more pop to the egret in the second shot.

7

Thanks for all the comments.

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Ok Allen
This is a try at blurring the back-ground. I used a graduated filter brush for the blur and then an eraser brush on the Egret.
Peter

8

I think it helps to let the egret standout more.