Nest-Building Osprey

Here's a nest-building Osprey that I photographed from James Shadle's boat.

http://birdwhisperer.smugmug.com/pho...85_QmmfW-O.jpg

Canon 50D, 500mm, f/6.3, 1/3200, ISO 400, -1/3 EC, no flash, hand held

Doug:

I like the banking pose, wing position, stick and exposure.

For me, the eye looks less sharp than parts of the wing, so I am guessing that the focus point was set on the root of the wings, rather than the eye. Certainly might clean up nicely with a bit more selective USM.

Thanks for sharing.

Randy

Very well done for hand holding that 500mm Doug. There again, Probably not too practical to have a tripod on a boat. I like the effort shown on his face, and great wing positions. Very well captured Doug.

Nice image, Doug. I found it difficult to capture the osprey in its entirety, and sharp, as you have done, from James' boat, which, BTW, was always positioned well for these incoming/outgoing nest shots. Just to clarify for Stuart, Capt. James Shadle's Hooptie Deux is a great platform for setting up a tripod with long lens, even for flight shots, but, as a relative beginner, I found handholding a smaller lens better for flight shots. If you manage the long trip to Florida from South Africa, Stuart, you MUST get together with James Shadle to try this out.

Jory

I like the wing and head posture - really seems to convey the effort of flying with the stick. Agree re a little selective sharpening on the head/eye and maybe a little NR on the BG.

Nice pose Doug. Sharp all across I think, but maybe try what the other fellows suggested. WEll done mate, was that boat rockin' or what?

Doug -
Beautiful bird.

I have looked at this several times and something just doesn't seem right about it to me. Others are talking eye not as sharp as wing but it is the wing that is bugging me. I am not sure that it is not over-sharpened as the right wing has a kind of 'plastic look' to it but I also consider that may be from the bird being wet if it is in fact just from the water.