First Japan Avian Post

[Arthur Morris]

After four days of travel and three long days of Snow Monkeys we have now twice been out with the sea eagles. This Steller's Sea Eagle was photographed on February 26 with the hand held Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the EOS-1D Mark IV.

ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 2/3 stops off the grey sky: 1/800 sec. at f/4.

Don't be shy; all comments welcome.

Click here (http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/2012/02/26/ten-degrees-of-flight-photography/) to learn more about the image and see how NIK's Color improved it dramatically. Weather report included :).

ps: As below, I forgot to mention that this bird was baited from a tourist boat in Hokkaido, Japan. It was simply an oversight.

[arash_hazeghi]

very nice eye contact and pose, I like the under wing details, sharp. Wing whites look just a tad blueish on my screen, would warm up a tad.

[dankearl]

A very nice flight photo of a very nice bird.
Exposure, focus, all first rate.

[Ofer Levy]

Excellent capture! Technically superb with perfect sharpness and exposure control. Pose is great with this intense eye contact and awesome wing position. I haven't seen this bird but I can relate to Arash's comment regarding the bluish cast. Here is a repost with a different composition, removal of some of the bluish cast and a slight levels adjustment. Also saved as sRGB.

[Arthur Morris]

Excellent capture! Technically superb with perfect sharpness and exposure control. Pose is great with this intense eye contact and awesome wing position. I haven't seen this bird but I can relate to Arash's comment regarding the bluish cast. Here is a repost with a different composition, removal of some of the bluish cast and a slight levels adjustment. Also saved as sRGB.

Love everything about the repost but the added room below. But please forgive me: I forgot to mention that the eagles are baited with fish and that this was created on a workshop (that I am co-leading). Pretty much all images of this species are from the tourist boats at Hokkaido, even those that have been honored in various BBC competitions.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Great capture, I too noticed a slight blue cast, I also felt the blacks could be a little richer, the re-post appears to have too much contrast to me.

[Ofer Levy]

Love everything about the repost but the added room below. But please forgive me: I forgot to mention that the eagles are baited with fish and that this was created on a workshop (that I am co-leading). Pretty much all images of this species are from the tourist boats at Hokkaido, even those that have been honored in various BBC competitions.

Hi Artie, I am pleased you like the repost.
I think you are referring to this thread: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/95409-True-bird-photography-vs-quot-workshop-photography-quot-your-thoughts-please

I am less happy to read the sarcasm in your response as I am sure you can understand without much effort that this image doesn't qualify as a WORKSHOP PHOTOGRAPHY in the way I present it in the title and in the rest of my comments in this thread.
Cheers,
Ofer

[Doug Brown]

I think Ofer is on the right track, but my repost pushes the color cast correction even further. Hope you're having a great time in Japan! And glad to see you hand holding your 300. :w3

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[Ofer Levy]

Hi Doug, the main reason for my repost was the composition and not the colour cast as I haven't seen this bird and can't tell whether this is really a cast or part of the real colour.:w3

[Marina Scarr]

Nice flight pose of a bird I hope to one day photograph if I am lucky. Not normally a fan of high key, but this one works really well esp against the yellow bill and talons. The colors in Doug's repost look pretty good to me and I do like the comp offered up by Ofer. I feel the OP is a tad too tight on the left. Looking forward to more.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Artie, a good looking speciman here, and I do like the flight posture. Overall, the eagle is tack sharp, and pops from the BG so well. As Im not familar with this eagle, I cant comment on the various colours offered in the reposts. Glad you are having fun in Japan.

[Don Nelson]

Excellent image. I prefer Doug's repost.
Thanks, Artie, for sharing details on the image capture.

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

Nice catch and I too love the position. I see the cast as well and think Doug hit the color correctly. I also like the room left by Ofer on the left.

[Matt Fragale]

Wow, I have to say, I tried to hand hold a 300/2.8 this weekend a bit and it was not easy at all. That is a massive lens (I had a Sigma 120-300 f/2.8, but I imagine the prime is about the same, size/weight). Congrats on catching such a tack sharp image! He does look very blue, but I imagine some of that is the blue, very clear sky in the BG. I will be so happy when I can make a picture like this! Could you describe for a newbie like myself how you go about actually capturing that? Are you following this specific bird and shooting as it flies and you pan along with him? Or do you see him coming and prepare to take the shot in a specific spot? Thanks!

[Robert Holguin]

Wonderful shot. Excellent flight pose, detail is superb, exposed very well, and I like Doug's repost colors along with Ofer's comp.
Well done.

[Arthur Morris]

Hi Artie, I am pleased you like the repost.
I think you are referring to this thread: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/95409-True-bird-photography-vs-quot-workshop-photography-quot-your-thoughts-please

I am less happy to read the sarcasm in your response as I am sure you can understand without much effort that this image doesn't qualify as a WORKSHOP PHOTOGRAPHY in the way I present it in the title and in the rest of my comments in this thread. Cheers, Ofer

Happiness is a choice. It was an honest oversight. The birds were baited (though not by me personally) and the image was created on a workshop. Though I was late to the post my understanding is that this would not qualify as "real" bird photography.

[Arthur Morris]

I think Ofer is on the right track, but my repost pushes the color cast correction even further. Hope you're having a great time in Japan! And glad to see you hand holding your 300. :w3


Thanks all. I too like Doug's repost best of all. Peter did a good job on the sky but made the bird too yellow (actually brown). They are black. That leads us to asking Doug how he went about making his color correction. Doug, please let us know exactly how you did it.

[Ofer Levy]

Artie said: "Happiness is a choice. It was an honest oversight. The birds were baited (though not by me personally) and the image was created on a workshop. Though I was late to the post my understanding is that this would not qualify as "real" bird photography. "

Artie, here are two of my comments on the mentioned thread which clearly show that you are totally wrong with your interpretation of the things I have said. I am sure you will agree when you read the following:
Comment number 1:
Ofer said: "Just to clarify - I have absolutely no issue with workshops/tours in which the participants are being taken to places where birds can be found - I think this is a great way of learning about bird photography and I think most of the people on this site who conduct workshops belong to this group. My issue is with those workshops in which everything is done for the participants - like the one featured in the video. Placing the poor owl in the fake nest so everyone can get an image of an owl in the nest - I find this to be wrong and undermining the whole essence of bird photography. "

Comment number 2:
Ofer said: "This discussion is about those workshops where everyone who just bought a nice camera can get a world class bird image as it was staged for him by a world class photographer. Nothing more and nothing less. I haven't mentioned, baiting, using of calls, setups etc which for me are all part of my work as a bird photographer.
Please read the original post again."

I am sure this clears your misunderstanding.

Here is the thread: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/95409-True-bird-photography-vs-quot-workshop-photography-quot-your-thoughts-please

Cheers,
Ofer

[Jonathan Ashton]

Ofer, I think that when you find yourself in a hole...... well best stop digging:w3

[Ofer Levy]

deleted

[Jonathan Ashton]

Ashton, I think you should concentrate on your photography...:w3

Touchez - point taken only trying to be of help!!
(BTW my name is Jon or Mr Ashton I find plain Ashton a little less than respectful, if you thought I was being disrespectful I apologise - because I wasn't).

[Ofer Levy]

No worries Mr. Ashton - all good! :w3

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Artie, a killer shot. loved the angle of the bird and the details. Agree that Doug's repost is awesome. must have been a lot of fun.

[Ofer Levy]

Dear Artie, I think you have missed my reply to you so here it is again - I am sure that as the owner of this site you would like to get things straight with no misunderstandings.

Artie said: "Happiness is a choice. It was an honest oversight. The birds were baited (though not by me personally) and the image was created on a workshop. Though I was late to the post my understanding is that this would not qualify as "real" bird photography. "

Artie, here are two of my comments on the mentioned thread which clearly show that you are totally wrong with your interpretation of the things I have said. I am sure you will agree when you read the following:
Comment number 1:
Ofer said: "Just to clarify - I have absolutely no issue with workshops/tours in which the participants are being taken to places where birds can be found - I think this is a great way of learning about bird photography and I think most of the people on this site who conduct workshops belong to this group. My issue is with those workshops in which everything is done for the participants - like the one featured in the video. Placing the poor owl in the fake nest so everyone can get an image of an owl in the nest - I find this to be wrong and undermining the whole essence of bird photography. "

Comment number 2:
Ofer said: "This discussion is about those workshops where everyone who just bought a nice camera can get a world class bird image as it was staged for him by a world class photographer. Nothing more and nothing less. I haven't mentioned, baiting, using of calls, setups etc which for me are all part of my work as a bird photographer.
Please read the original post again."

I am sure this clears your misunderstanding.

Here is the thread: http://www.birdphotographers.net/for...houghts-please (http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/95409-True-bird-photography-vs-quot-workshop-photography-quot-your-thoughts-please)

Cheers,
Ofer