I frequently photograph at the St. Louis zoo. You have nice details on this bird and caught a good pose. My only suggestions are to darken the background, especially the upper right corner and perhaps lighten the bird (especially the chest) just a little.   Posted: 06/16/2022 07:15:27

Great capture! I like Cindy's suggestion. I think you. need to create a little more contrast between the background and the bird so the bird stands out a little more. Maybe even try blurring the background just a touch more?   Posted: 06/26/2022 04:56:57

Composition, lighting and focus are right on the money. The background works well with this model since she naturally blends in with her surroundings. The log at the bottom is very supporting and the slope of the hill to the upper corner gives nice perspective and compliments the heron.

I've been watching the young eagles fledge on the eagle-cams online for the past few months. There's one eagle family that took in a hawk as their own and she just started flying a few days ago. Sorry to bore you. One more thing, you should try the 365 day challenge. They give you a word a day to get a picture and post on the 365 gallery. It's a good motivation to pick up your camera every day and get some photographic exercise. No commenting required. Just a friendly suggestion.   Posted: 06/26/2022 15:15:40