D500 / Sigma 100-300 w/ 1.4TC @ 420mm. 1/1000 @ f/8. 560 ISO
1 Like
Don’t you love perching herons? They look so gawky. This one has some lovely light, but the focus is a tad off. So freaking hard with that tiny face. But it’s pretty good. I might have a go at lifting the shadows on the back of the bird so that the whole body shape is more obvious. Right now it’s a bit strange only being able to see the light feathers in front. And maybe lift the exposure in the branches to match the bird. Looks like you dialed those down in post and it shows. Nice head turn and the blue on the head is pretty fab.
I like the setting and pose a lot, Michael. You nailed the exposure and focus as well. I do think a touch more room on the top would make the composition work a bit better.
I like the pose and the tree. Good head turn. But I agree with Kris that the focus is off and some of the plumage looks smeared on the neck region. Looks as if it was processed with Topaz AI Clear which can smear plumage.