Finally...

[Arthur Morris]

I have been trying to get a good image of a Black Vulture for more than a decade. I created this one on the Hooptie Deux this morning with James Shadle and Linda Robbins. It was 32 degrees when we left the dock. Yow!

Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens handheld with the EOS-50D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 off the 40 degrees up blue sky: 1/1250 sec. at f/6.3 (in Manual mode).

Don't be shy; all comments welcome. I am here to learn too.

[Art Kornienko]

Wow Artie, a decade is sure a long time, congrats on your success. Crop and wing position is very interesting, not sure about the detail, was it a very large crop?

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Art. (Great name.) The image is probably 90% of the frame. Detail in the blacks is fine in the TIFF. When JPEGs are created, most simply get darker and more contrasty.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Cool incoming pose, light and exposure control. I'm sure a larger version would show the details even better.

[Ramon M. Casares]

Great and powerfull pose and wing position, great light and nice detail, I imagine that in hi_res this one is just stunning! Love the wide comp too. Congratualitons on your catch!

[diegopiacenza]

Very nice photo, congratulations. The pose and composition are fantastic. I think the black zone it's ok and the detail problem is because the image is saved for internet.

In Argentina there are many places to find these species. If you come to visit my country, with pleasure I can show where you could find them.

Greetings!

[Arthur Morris]

Very nice photo, congratulations. The pose and composition are fantastic. I think the black zone it's ok and the detail problem is because the image is saved for internet. In Argentina there are many places to find these species. If you come to visit my country, with pleasure I can show where you could find them. Greetings!

Hi Diego, I am honored that your first post was a comment on one of my images. Welcome to BPN. We are looking forward to seeing some of the birds of Argentina. We have lots of Black Vultures here I have just found them hard to photograph well in flight.

If I do make it to Argentina, it would not be to see those ugly buggers :) :) :)

I know that lots of the shorebirds that I love spend the winters in your country.

[dlmichel]

It has to be a awesome feeling to finally accomplish a challenge especially after a decade. The results has to be worth the effort. I especially love the way the wing feathers flair and the highlights make the vulture seem so elegant. A shot for a new book I bet titled "Patients and Perseverance".:)

As mentioned above I can imagine that the original looks fantastic with detail. Congrats on another great shot.

[Arthur Morris]

Hi Dave, You wrote above: "A shot for a new book I bet titled "Patients and Perseverance"."

Did you mean patience or patients?

Dr. Morris.....

[David Thomasson]

That's a beauty, Arthur. Congratulations! The S/H filter will pull some shadow details out very nicely. I was surprised to find practically no noise under there!

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/6010/vultureaq9.jpg

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/2682/vulture2hq1.jpg

[Desmond Chan]

Hmmm...errr...on my monitor, the re-post does show more details.

Congrats, Artie, on finally getting your shot !!

[Grace Scalzo]

Always nice to get something you want. I like the wing position as it almost makes him look graceful and pretty. Almost. Repost looks great as far as the blacks go. Poor baby, 32 degrees. That's positively balmy.

[Mike Lentz]

I was thinking the darks were a bit dark under the birds left wing especially... repost looks better.
And that is why we ask for comments. :)

Congrats on getting a bird you wanted in flight, now go make it lighter. ;)

[Raymond Barlow]

Nice image Artie, and the repost looks much better., might clone out the halos.

[Nate Chappell]

Big congrats on getting an image you are happy with on this species Arthur, your first post looks fine to me with nice detail in most of the blacks except where there is a natural shadow and hey shadows are part of nature too. I really like the light and your comp. I prefer it to the repost that seems too pale and has a bit of a halo.

[Gyorgy Szimuly]

I can recall some images from my mind of my South Mexican birding trip in April when I saw thousands of BVs during migration and many provided nice view and angle. I guess it is a question of using some animal carcass :) Sure it works...

I like this image.

Szimi

[Simon Bennett]

I'm not very familiar with this vulture, but I have noticed that when applying to much shadows/highlights to sooty coloured seabirds that it can render them un-naturally brownish, perhaps like some of the reposts.