Recently I had the chance to observe a Green Heron (Butorides virescens), one of my favorite birds, as it waded into the water at the edge of a small pond and focused its attention on catching a meal.
It was fascinating to watch the heron’s movements—it moved so with such care and stealth that it almost seemed to be moving in slow motion. At times, the heron would lean forward, as in the first photo, perhaps when a potential prey caught its attention.
The water in the pond was very still and I was happy to capture some nice reflections of the heron. They presented a minor dilemma for me in deciding how to crop the shot. Was it better to crop tighter and emphasize the main subject, as I did in the first shot, or to show the entire reflection, as in the third shot, which is the same image cropped differently? What do you think?
In many ways, the second shot is my favorite one. The heron had started to slowly move away and then turned its head back and opened its mouth a little. That little gesture seemed to give the heron more personality and it looks almost like it is smiling.
Mike Powell 
I like the second one, and it’s reflection.
I like them all but the second shows some action. I think the uncropped one is the better of the first and third because it shows a bit more of his surroundings and the reflection.
Can’t choose!
For me, Mike, your third photo takes the prize. I would, however, work a bit to balance the luminance levels of the reflection with the primary subject.
Thanks, Gary. I think that I need to do a bit of editing on layers to affect only certain parts of the image, which is something I don’t have much experience with–there is always more to learn.
I like the reflection in the second one.
Love the reflection!
These are fabulous shots, Mike. My favorite is the first one but it’s really hard to pick. I love them all.