Pallid Harrier searching for prey

[Michael_Loizou]

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/16187250/cyprus/Pallid%20Harrier%20IMG_4970%20-%201000.jpg

Taken in Cyprus. These usually stop there for a few weeks in March/April while migrating.

7D + 300mm MKII + 2x III
f7.1 - 1/1000 - ISO 400 - Spot metering - No flash - Manual mode - Subject distance 90.6 meters

[Daniel Cadieux]

Nice typical harrier gliding/hunting pose. I like the dangling talons and the blue BG. I'm suspecting a big crop from the subject distance you indicate and from the IQ of the bird. It is properly focused but just not having the fine detail due to that large crop. I also find its placement in the frame quite high due to the large amount of empty space below...if you are into that type of image editing you could raise the grass line closer to the harrier and then crop as a pano. Just an option for you.

[Michael_Loizou]

Thank you for the reply, it is indeed a big crop. Will certainly try raising the line to balance the image better.

[Michael_Loizou]

Is this an improvement?

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/16187250/cyprus/IMG_4970%20birdphotographers.jpg

[Daniel Cadieux]

Yes, much better composition-wise!

[Marina Scarr]

Repost works very well. Lovely gliding pose and the pano really works well.