Angel Wings

[Brendon Cremer]

A fish eagle landing on a dead tree in stunning afternoon light, i just cant get over the photographic opportunities the beautiful birds can produce on the Chobe River, Botswana.

The question i have is should i get rid of the branches at the bottom, do they distract?



Camera Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Focal Length 500mm
Shutter Speed 1/2500 sec
Aperture f/5.6
ISO/Film 400

[PhilCook]

Very impressive. excellent color and light, and very impressive wing spread particularly with the primary feathers fully extended......if it were mine I'd be inclined to remove the bottom branches

[Nick Palmieri]

Great capture love the wingspan. The light on the wings in nice, I am a little bothered by the shadow on the side of the head, but overall very nice image.

[supreet.sahoo]

Brendon I wanted to share a small story with you after seeing this image, as a tattoo artist (during my college days) I always wanted to make something on my right arm that had the combination of a guardian angel and an eagle !!This image of yours has surely given me a perspective of what I wanted!!! Absolutely beautiful mate !! Cant thank you enough for sharing this...

Now from a photographers POV i probably would have snipped a lil off the bottom to not include the distractive branches. All in all a great moment very well captured.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Brendon,
Very close on this one. I agree with the shadow on the face......but that wingspread and light is fantastic. I would definitely crop 1/2 off the bottom.....which even further emphasizes the beautiful wings. If he had turned his head slightly to the side to light the whole face.......this would be off the chart. Still a fantastic image!!!

[Marina Scarr]

That is an amazing wingspan and gorgeous light under the wings. The shadow on the face hurts it a bit. I agree on a crop from the bottom which i Think would lend itself to a more powerful image.

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

That shadow on the face is normal in the world we live as light is coming from above, so its perfectly fine with me.
Love the warm light. the with pose and perch. I would crop a tad on bottom.

[Satish Ranadive]

What a lovely and elegant wingspread you have captured here? Love the magical colors,great details and nice composition.
Agree about a branch at the bottom.

Regards,
Satish.

[Diane Miller]

Gorgeous!!

Alternative to cropping the branches at the bottom -- is there just a little more there to include? I find them interesting and a counterbalance to the weight of the bird, although there is something of a ping-pong effect with them. The bird is so gorgeously dominant, though, and the branches so interesting, that I think they just add a grace note.

[Daniel Cadieux]

That is a fantastic wingspread!! The light angle you had was not best for the face, but it did illuminate the wings wonderfully. I'd prefer no branches below but Diane's suggestion intrigues me too....

[Arno Ellmer]

Superb capture , Brendon .The wingspread is terrific and it does not get more perfect than this.Would of course wished for no branch in front of this imposing display.

[Brendon Cremer]

Thanks very much for all your great comments and suggestions, will play around with the crop and see what works.