Dark Phase Rough Legged Hawk

[Stephen Stephen]

I haven't been able to get out to do much photography but I was able to take a day trip to Wolfe Island last weekend with a birder friend on my. The island is almost all fenced farm land so all of our sitings had to be from the roadside.

We saw about 40 species of birds but raptors were certainly in abundance. Over 40 Rough Legged Hawks, at least 6 each of Red Tails and Harriers, about 20 Kestrels, one Turkey vulture, a juvenile Bald eagle and a Golden Eagle (a lifer for me). We could only identify the Golden using my friends spotting scope.

I created this image of a rough legged hawk that day. I was doing all the driving so I lost some time parking the car every time and then jumping out to try and grab a couple of images before the birds flew off.

Handheld Canon Rebel XT, Sigma 50-500mm @ 417, ISO 400, F7.1, 1/1600 sec. Cropped to about 30% of frame. Slight selective sharpening on head.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s219/Squidcan/Birds2/Rough_Leg_08_01a.jpg

[Bonnie Block]

I can sure identify with trying to drive and shoot too, Stephen. :D
I get everything all tangled up with the parking brake handle--as my bird flys away!
I like the pose and the eye contact here-- the bird seems a bit over-exposed, thus a little noisy--possibly it would benefit from a little curves adjustment/nr

[Arthur Morris]

Wonderful head position and eye contact. Image lacks pop. Needs more contrast and blacker blacks.

later and love, artie

[Jody Melanson]

I agree that the blacks could use a little more ooomph. :) Also it is a bit underexposed. I like the look. Wolfe Island is a tough area to make images.

[Dieter Schaefer]

I'm not sure about the true color of this hawk but couldn't help but play with it a bit in PS - is this overdone?

[Stephen Stephen]

Thank you Bonnie, Artie, Jody and Dieter. Dieter you re-work looks much more like what I saw in real life.

I must admit that I purposely lowered the contrast because I thought that people would expect to see more detail in the dark feathers. I see now that I should have gone with my first instinct to leave the bird as I first imagined it.

Thanks again. Here's my version of the re-worked image. Hopefully it's an improvement

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s219/Squidcan/Birds2/Rough_Leg_08_01a-1.jpg