Frame for Clarity and Simplicity

Sometimes the difference between a good photograph and a poor one is just a matter of changing point of view by a few feet.  I found this great blue heron standing on a rock at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.  (Curiously, several other people walked with 50 feet of this rather large bird without noticing him.)

I shot a few frames quickly, in case he flew off, but I didn't like the green moss in the background, and I saw that the heron's head fell in an awkward location.  By moving up the beach and then laying down on the rocks, I was able to reframe with the simpler background seen in the lower shot.

This photo was taken with a Canon 60D, the EF 70-200mm f/4L IS zoom, and the EF 1.4X II extender.