Black Shouldered Kite

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

This was a difficult shot and I was so eager to get the shot that I lost my cool and made errors but I like it all the same. The sun was off to the right and to get the image I had to climb a fence on the coastal cliffs which in my condition was bloody stupid and a couple of wind surfers had to help me back to safety.

Canon 30D, 300mm F4 + 1.4X Con (420mm), 1/800 sec, ISO-200, F/5.6, +0.3 step, shutter priority, Pattern metering.





http://birdphotographers.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=3837&stc=1&d=1202324949

[Jim Poor]

Sometimes the feeling of getting the image, any image, is worth a whole lot more than a technically perfect image can ever aspire to.

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

Thanks Jim I agree, every thing was wrong, the dangerous position, the sun, the time of day but it was such a lovely bird I just had to get a photo of it no matter what.

[Hillebrand Breuker]

It isn't a bad photo at all. I can imagine the feeling. I had it several times too. Great catch.

[Jody Melanson]

I like the pose. I would crop some off the left side. This looks really washed out from overexposure and the eye is really noisy.

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

You are quite right Jody, initially I was facing into the afternoon sun and to get away from that I hung off the cliff face but really struggled to get a reasonable image and much PP went into this which I would not have bothered to do had I not loved the bird.

I have gone back to this spot every day for some while at different times and weather but no appearance I am afraid, just something about this bird that got to me.

[John Chardine]

By the look of the eye I suspect that a bit of a heavy hand was used in Shadows and Highlights of PS? Maybe a fresh process from the original would be beneficial.

[Arlene Spagna]

Hi, I'm surprised with all the commotion this beautiful bird did not take off... unless he did after you made this image. Nice feather detail and nice perch.