Eye contact

[Clemens Vanderwerf]

This image was created in the morning at 8:36am on Lake Tohopekaliga, Florida on board of Jim Neiger's boat. The snail kite flight activity was very slow that morning, except for some harassing red-winged blackbirds, but we had some good opportunities for portraits. The kite was sitting on a white pvc pipe, hence only the top part. The background and open beak make this image for me.

This image was created with the Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens and Canon 2.0x TC II at 1000mm, and the EOS-1DMIV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering: 1/800 sec. at f/8 set manually. Hand held. Did some bill clean up.

All comments are welcome.

Thanks for looking.

[Tin Man Lee]

Great job in handholding 500 and 2x with great result, Clemens! Love the pleasing background. I know the background is usually cluttered where the snail kite perch, so, nice job! The pose is fantastic. Nice composition. If I really have to pick something, I would love to have a little more space on the top. Overall great sharpness, love the details, eyes and beak.

[Robert Holguin]

Excellent portrait. Love the open beak and the complementary background. Well done.

[Chad Caswell]

wonderful bk colors with a great expression captured, seems a bit over sharpened to me in the beak eye focal point. seeing inside the mouth is a great bonus in this image.

[arash_hazeghi]

nice and a great pose, the kite eye looks over saturated on my screen did you enhance it?
excellent!

[gail bisson]

Another beautiful portrait. The BG oranges and greens are lovely. Great light and feather detail as well. No nits from me!I love the ruby eyes and open beak-he should be in the dentist's chair:bg3:
Gail

[Dumay de Boulle]

Nice portrait and great BG. I would also tone down the sat somewhat. Love the beaks on these guys!

[Clemens Vanderwerf]

Great job in handholding 500 and 2x with great result, Clemens! Love the pleasing background. I know the background is usually cluttered where the snail kite perch, so, nice job! The pose is fantastic. Nice composition. If I really have to pick something, I would love to have a little more space on the top. Overall great sharpness, love the details, eyes and beak.

Tin Man, I have more space on top, and had a comp first with more space, but it felt as too much empty space on top.

[Clemens Vanderwerf]

nice and a great pose, the kite eye looks over saturated on my screen did you enhance it?
excellent!

Arash, I did not do any eye doctor work here, but allied a contrast mask to the face, which typically darkens and saturates a little.

That is probably also why it might look a bit over sharpened, Chad.

[denise ippolito]

Clemens, I love the reed colors int he background and some good suggestions already given. Nice job with the open mouth pose!:S3:

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Clemens, loved the head on angle....goes so well with the open bill and brings out the predator personality of the bird. what a killer stare. BG to die for. Very well done. loved the crop as well.