Early this morning I spotted a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) in a distant part of a pond that I was exploring. I was worried about blowing out the highlights of the heron’s face and bill, so I deliberately underexposed the image. As a result the background became a bit darker than it was in real life and gave it a dramatic quality that I really like. The reflections of the heron and some of the background elements add a lot to the “artsy” feel of the photo.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
It is dramatic!
Very nice, Mike
Nice! M:-)
Great shot Mike.
Thanks. It’s fun playing around with the setting of my camera and seeing how it affects the output. It’s amazing how many creative choices we make when taking our shots.