Yellow-billed Kite having breakfast

[Tobie Schalkwyk]

Snapped in the Kruger National Park, SA. Light conditions were really bad which resulted in a semi high-key feel. Highlights reigned in in LR and cropped to about 25% of original for composition.

All C&C's welcome.

Nikon D7100 + Nikon 300mm f/4 + TC 14E II (thus effectively @ 630mm)
f/7.1 | 1/500s | 800 ISO | Beanbag in car window

[arash_hazeghi]

I like the the prey, is it dead fish?

the image has a number of issues, there wasn't enough light, the pupil is too dark as a result and the bird is noisy, the 2nd branch that has intersected with the bird is a bit distracting too, it is difficult to come up with a keeper frame of raptors with deep eye sockets in this kind of light.

TFS

[keith mitchell]

Tobie was not sure if the high -key feel but the more I look the more I like, making the eye a little brighter would be good ,afraid I cannot see the noise, would be pleased if it was mine.

Keith.

[Tobie Schalkwyk]

Tobie was not sure if the high -key feel but the more I look the more I like, making the eye a little brighter would be good ,afraid I cannot see the noise, would be pleased if it was mine. Keith.

Thanks for your comment Keith! I was not too sure about noise either but thought maybe it was just not showing up on my monitor. Here's a version with the eye brightened up slightly.

http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=157515&d=1449582653

[Tobie Schalkwyk]

I like the the prey, is it dead fish?

the image has a number of issues, there wasn't enough light, the pupil is too dark as a result and the bird is noisy, the 2nd branch that has intersected with the bird is a bit distracting too, it is difficult to come up with a keeper frame of raptors with deep eye sockets in this kind of light.

TFS

Thank for commenting Arash! I think it's a piece of fish. It was snapped next to a river so it probably scavenged some left-overs from a fish eagle. BTW I can't pick up noise on my monitor...

[arash_hazeghi]

Thank for commenting Arash! I think it's a piece of fish. It was snapped next to a river so it probably scavenged some left-overs from a fish eagle. BTW I can't pick up noise on my monitor...

the noise is quite obvious on the wing feathers, maybe you need a new monitor :)

[Tobie Schalkwyk]

the noise is quite obvious on the wing feathers, maybe you need a new monitor :)

Or rather a new set of eyes? :t3

[keith mitchell]

Tobie think that looks a bit better but it must be difficult with the angle of the head taking it into shadow.

Keith.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Tobie, great to see you in these parts. :w3 A great subject, and its always great to capture some form of behaviour. That could be a fish. Not the best HA to show up the eye. Did he not lift his head once to have captured more of the eye. I do agree with Arash that there is noise on the wing feathers. Did you bring up the overall exposure in pp work?

[Tobie Schalkwyk]

Hi Tobie, great to see you in these parts. :w3 A great subject, and its always great to capture some form of behaviour. That could be a fish. Not the best HA to show up the eye. Did he not lift his head once to have captured more of the eye. I do agree with Arash that there is noise on the wing feathers. Did you bring up the overall exposure in pp work?

Yep, I have not been around for a while Stu! I do have a couple of shots where the head was lifted but then there are other facets overall which (to me) are not as nice as in this shot. I'll see if I can find one that's presentable. I've discovered a defect in my D7100 though - it only recorded .jpg's when set to record .RAW as well as .jpg's. Perhaps that is showing up in the shots in terms of noise - and it's limiting PP'ing to some degree. I have raised the exposure and shadows just a tad in LR.