Black Drongo

[Thanaboon Jearkjirm]

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5296/5484862025_d235e4f6e4_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/lunnj2/5484862025/)

D700
300mm f/2.8G VR II with TC-20E III
600mm
ISO 400
f/7.1 at 1/500s
Manual mode
Matrix Metering
AF-C, Dynamic 9 points
Auto white balance
Handheld inside a car

Cropped from 4256x2832 to 1372x2000

Lighten the bird, curve for contrast, lighten and add saturation to iris, NR on background and sharpen (forgot to mask off the stomach to reduce the halo :p)

Haven't post anything in a while. I went looking for hawk but didn't get any image, on the way back happened to see this Drongo perching on the side, so I pulled to the side and took a few shots before it flied off. The original was a bit underexpose and wish the shadow cast by the branch on the wing wasn't there.

All comments and suggestions are welcome.

[Chris Korman]

Very beautiful bird, I like the portrait. The sheen on the feathers is nice.

[John Chardine]

I missed this one when it was posted. Great to see one of these! You have some nice detail in the blacks and the dark red eye. The lightening in the feathers has not created excess noise. I would loosen the crop a little, particularly at the top.