Blue Heron C&C

Below are two images of a Blue Heron in near a waterfall. Please share your comments and criticisms. I am debating whether I should enter either of these into a nature competition. Thanks in advance.

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I like the second one the best. I'll bet the first pic would look great with a slower shutter speed, 1/2 sec or slower. the waterfall would have blurred to a nice soft background, making the heron stand out better.

Both nice shots. I like the first because the setting is more dramatic. However a tighter crop might improve it. You don't need as much of the foreground in my opinion.

Both are great captures except that the first has an optical illusion of the area at above the wing joint being transparent.

I'd go with the second (image where the heron appears larger). However, I think you need to bring the exposure of the heron up a bit...the bird looks somewhat underexposed. It would have been better if you had managed to capture the bird in its "fishing" position...it wouldn't have been as static.

I really like them both - nice work

I wish you had some real light to work with ...

Nice captures - I like the separation you've achieved.

I'm not sure the slower shutter would work on #1 unless you could get the heron to cooperate and stand real still - which they often do.

The only thing I would like to see is more of the 'blue' part of the blue heron.