Red Stag In Habbitat

Hi everyone. Tonights image was taken from The Griesdale Hide at Leighton Moss RSPB Nature Reserve. I liked the way the Red Stag was framed by the Tree. I love these animals, and can't wait for this years Rut! I would appreciate you're thoughts on this image, as many of you probably know, I struggle with composition sometimes. The image is Full frame. Many thanks in advance,
Paul Rosser.

Canon EOS 7D
Canon EF 400mm f5.6 'L'
Beanbag
f5.6
1/320 sec
ISO 200
400mm
Levels adjustment
USM after resising
Processed in CS5.

Hi Paul,

I'd lose some of the water off the bottom, just to the bottom of that small island and I was then going to suggest to take a little off the right, but I think all of the tree needs to stay, so I'm not sure.

I've just decided I'm crap at composition so maybe some of the big guns can offer some advice.

Smart shot of a animal I've never seen at LM, think I need to look harder.

Andy...

Hi Andy, thanks for you're comments. I nearly cropped the water out first off, the I decided, that the Deer looked better with the eye on the third . I saw lots of Deer on my 3 visits there. The Griesdale hide being by far the best, they always came through the Reeds to the right, as you look out of the hide.
Regards,
Paul.

It works for me as it is Paul.


Calum

The tree frames the deer perfectly Paul.

There's loads of ways you could go regarding composition, it looks ok to me as it is also it looks good without any of the water in the picture, guess I'm easy to please
Well done.

Geoff.

I like the image Paul, it works for me. The tree frames the dear perfectly, I would of prefered to of seen even more of the tree and lose a little off the bottom to improve the comp even further
Lee

Works fine for me too. Lovely image.

I'd loose the water too.. Nice image .

OK, just shoot me if you don't agree......

To me the tree is spoiling the image by being chopped off on the right.
My take on this scene would have been to have stood back a bit and maybe a bit to the leftif you could have, used the water as a lead in line to the tree on the right (all of it mind) with tree framing the deer. In an ideal world the deer would have been closer to the tree as well.
As it is, for me, the deer is too central in the photo for it to work with any kind of crop.

Another option could have been to have shot it in landscape with no water and a lot more of the tree left and right.

I appreciate you're comments John, but I was in a Hide, and could'nt move back, I'd have liked all the tree in view too. Thank you!
Paul.