White egret feeding at a local wetland park

Image Critiques Avian Critiques
1

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Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

I photographed this egret at about one hour after sunrise at a local wetland park, I wanted to show not only the bird but also the environment it lives in. I used a pentax K70 with a pentax 100mm fa 2.8 macro lens.

Specific Feedback

Since I underexposed the image the background rendered dark, I believe this help show the bird better , if the background was brighter it may have competed with the bird.

Technical Details

Pentax K70
pentax 100mm fa f/2.8 macro lens
aperture setting f/4
shutter 1/100
I had to under expose slightly to bring out details in the bird, otherwise rhe normal metered exposure would have washed out the white bird.

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2

I like the environmental aspect of the image. I wonder if the water detail could be brought up some. The image seems a bit static with the egret in the center; perhaps more room on the left for the egret to move into would help. I think your exposure worked to show the bird without blowing out the whites.

3

I like the contrast between the foreground and background in this image, Timothy. In line with Allen’s suggestion about moving the egret off-center a bit, here’s a crop idea you might want to consider if you have the pixels to support it:

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I think it still shows the environment and keeps the egret fairly small in the frame.

I like the hint of texture in the dark background-it works much better than pure black would have worked.

4

Hi Timothy, interesting composed image with a good look at the environment and the bird on the top edge of the vegetation. I agree with the idea of moving the bird off center and I like Dennis’ rework.