High Key Harrier

[Katie Rupp]

The high overcast conditions were perfect for high key photography and I thought maybe I'd overdone it, but the detail and color was there just waiting for a little pp. This is a very, very large crop from the original but I think it holds up to it: what's your take? C&C encouraged and greatly appreciated. After I posted this, I'm doubting my identification??

Canon 40D; manual exposure f4, 1/800; ISO 500; 500mm, hh.

[Bill Dix]

Hi Katie - The high key works well, and I think the detail held up OK for a large crop. Might have wished for just a bit more of a head turn, and I'd be tempted to clone out the small twig below the branch. All in all, though, a handsome image. I'm guessing it's a Red-shouldered Hawk.

[Lance Peters]

Hi Katie - think the HAP might want to talk to you. :)
Love the high key and looks sharp and detail looks good for a large crop.
A head turn towards you would have put this over the top - IMHO.
Nice work handheld and techs look good - might have gone for some more DOF.

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Katie I don't mind the HA, and it looks sharp for a large crop. Like the long narrow frame, but maybe a bit off the top??? How do you find holding the 500?? Any tips???

[Julie Kenward]

A better head turn would definitely have pushed this one over the top but I do love the details in the feathers and the overall image. Katie, do you know how to do the ROT's grid in Photoshop? James Shadle did a nice piece on it in the educational forum and I think you could really benefit from that here. I feel like there's a bit too much space at the top and maybe even the bottom - try putting the eye of the bird/head area of the bird in the ROT's position and see what you think.

[Katie Rupp]

Thanks, everyone, for your comments and helpful suggestions.

Jackie, the handholding was because I was out practicing BIF photography and happened upon this guy so had to give it a try. I love being freed from the tripod but hh has its limits. I'll pm with more info re my experience/tips.

Julie, thank you for taking the time to view and comment and yes, actually I had applied the grid lines (ala Shadle) to this image while processing but decided to keep more white space because it is a huge crop...I have another tall and narrow version which I think would look good with a Chinese character type thing...

[Oscar Zangroniz]

Congrats Katie. Awesome capture without the tripod. I would only clone out the small branch by his tail.

[Kristin Brown]

Katie, I love your high key images....starting to be your trademark.
I don't mind the head angle at all. The only thing is that I would clone out the branch by it's tail like Oscar suggested.
Congrats!!:)