Landing Kite

[James Salywoda]

White-tailed Kite
Southern California


Another look at the White-tailed Kite in a landing pose.:)


Nikon D300s AFS 600 F4 1.7 TC
1/2500 F8 ISO 800

Thanks For Looking

Jim

[Stu Bowie]

Good attentive stare Jim, and I like the underwing detail. I remember your other post with the symmetry of the wings, and this is well timed too. Those talons look pretty sharp.

[Arthur Morris]

Love the pose, the feet, the timing and the loverly sharp perfectly exposed bird. But not the leaves. With the bird facing you the off-centered COMP bugged me. For the pano repost I also lightened the shadowed eye and eye socket and boosted the SAT on the bit of orange in the iris on that side. FWIW :)

[James Salywoda]

I like your re post it works for me. Thanks! I really wish I could get this bird in a situation that doesn't have the ugly sky bg.:D

[Arthur Morris]

YAW. Hey, they are high flyers!

[Manos Papadomanolakis]

Killer pose,eye contact,wing position!

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

James, this is incredible. Nice to be able to see the sky in this one. With the leaves in, I like the off-center placement but without the leaves, central works better.

[Marina Scarr]

Yet another awesome raptor capture, James. The EXP on this one is so perfect that the silver just pops right off of the screen. Love the wing position. Especially like how you can see both talon reflections on the bird's tail. Upon several looks, although I like Artie's repost, I think it may be just a tad too stark without at least a little more vegetation. I am thinking they are really two different photographs and I like each for different reasons. Like the lightened eye.

[denise ippolito]

James, Beautiful timing, exposure and pose. I like Artie's repost but I also agree w/ Marina that maybe a bit more of the vegetation would be nice.:)

[Randy Stout]

James:

Here is my quick and dirty take on it. I agree with Artie's assessment about the balance, but like more vegetation as others mentioned. The 'cross' is a very strong form in our culture.

Randy

[Arthur Morris]

I like vegetation too but not ratty vegetation :)

[Lorant Voros]

James. I think once I commented on a landing kite photo and I wished for some more eye contact. Here I have it all. I love your work here with the fantastic pose captured at the right moment. My favorite is Randy's repost with the cross image, though I agree with Artie and wishing for nicer vegetation. Very well done.