Don't sell yourself short on the description. The blurred background gives a sense of motion as well as directs all focus to the subject. All in all it's an incredible shot.
Awesome and well timed capture Ryan. I don't know how you react, but when they are startled and squack it sends a chill down my spine unmatched by any other bird;-)
I have to agree with Darryl..when this bird takes off & startles me, the last thing I think of is a camera!!!! I give you a 10/10 for having the presence of mind to aim & shoot, with your lens nothing else! They can scare the stuffin' out of a person. Great subject, great shot, great photo. Thank you Ryan.
I can only agree with the others, this is a remarkable shot! I love the effect of the water drops coming off the feet, and the reflection of the wing puts the BG in context. Top quality work, Ryan :-)
Exceptional! Wonderful Heron and well captured motion, definately something to be proud of! (I can easily tell the photographers apart from the rest of these people!)
Awesome flight capture. Excellent reflexes. He has just started to fold up his neck, so this was right at takeoff, not easy to do when you are startled, by one of these big birds.