What's wrong with this?

Ok, don't hit!! :D Just kidding, but there is something definitely not quite right (besides the perch going into the LRC) with this juvi Red-tailed Hawk. ;) He must have a real kink in his neck from staring at me...

50D, EF400mm f/5.6L
AV mode, f/5.6@1/1600 EC -2/3 ISO 400 AWB
AI Servo autofocus using back button, hand-held, 580EX II ETL w/BB, Evaluative mode FEC 0

Kerry,

Your exposure techs are solid! Like the -2/3 to protect the whites. I assume you were in low or mixed light to bring out the BB. FEC 0, just curious, did you try and shot with lower flash comp (e.g., -3/4, -1.5 etc). I say this b/c light seem a tad hard, what time was this taken?

Al always says, shoot three times with in ETTL mode. The first provides your dialed in setting, the second is less b/c the flash cannot recover that fast and the third is more like natural light. (providing three perspectives), Al can correct me if I have miss quoted. My point is, did you review any images with less FEC and how did they look - nice job. Lots of technical acumen applied here - well done friend.

BG could be better too.

Hi Kerry! For me, the BG is not good, the light seems harsh although your use of flash has captured information in the shadows. The angle of the shot is not too pleasing to me either. But, otherwise a good RTH shot:).

Thanks guys! Jeff, I have a whole range of exposures of this shot and this one was the best. It takes a lot of flash to keep up with full sun... Shot was taken mid-morning with full sun at my back.

Posted this mostly to show the head on backwards! ;) The BG is busy and ugly, but that's where he was and I don't have many shots with both the full frontal look and the back at the same time! :eek::D

Interesting head position. Would like to see this in vertical.

:)I like the stern look. The BG might be better with a little NR or blurrring and desaturation, then it would be less distracting.

Nice image, but agree with your assessment of the BG. I would also suggest that you consider cropping about 1/2 the area on the right and about 1/2 the area below the tail.

Sometimes you have to take what you can get. This is one of those times. NG may not buy it, but it's still a nice shot for personal enjoyment. ;)

Hi kerry - agree with all of the above comments and would add some NR to the BG - The bird from the Exorcist :)

Kerry,

You are right, the main thing is the head turn and it is very cool. I have never seen a bird do that, thanks for sharing this great moment in nature.

Too bad about the BG, Kerry. But as you said, it's a great pose which definitely makes the shot worth keeping.

I like the HA, but the clutterd BG is a little distracting. I agree with a vertical crop, so I did a vertical crop. Let me know what you think..

Dave

Hey Dave, I like it! It removes some of the clutter and adds focus to the bird. Thanks!

Hi Kerry, I feel you got a great shot of something you don't get to see to often. The head turned to the back makes the shot. Looks like one of the big Eucalyptus trees at Satwiwa if it was it's not easy to get a good clean shot of the young Red Tail Hawk.
Pete

Kerry, I love the twisted head and both eyes staring right down the barrel of your lens. The bg clutter is a bit distracting, but IMO, the harsh sidelighting is the biggest problem with the image.

Hi Pete, good to see you here. Hope all is well with you! You called the shot, the big Eucalyptus tree next to the equestrian lot at Satwiwa. The young hawks have fledged but are still hanging around the area.

Jim, thanks for your comments. I agree about the lighting, too harsh. Need to get up earlier in the morning for this spot!

I like the tighter crop ... despite the harsh light a keeper for the behavior !!! Might want to try Focal Point on the bg !!!

[quote=Kerry Perkins;307136]Hi Pete, good to see you here. Hope all is well with you! You called the shot, the big Eucalyptus tree next to the equestrian lot at Satwiwa. The young hawks have fledged but are still hanging around the area.

Hey Kerry, just after I posted the note to you I stopped at Satwiwa and saw what may be the same Red Tail. I got a few shots with the 600mm and the 1.4. I was on my way to the coast to see the giant waves and see about some wild surfers and the big waves. I just got back and thought I'd send you a short note.
Pete

I used a bokeh filter for the background and ran the whole image through Topaz adjust. With any luck, it won't look too processed... :) Thanks for the crop Dave!

Hi Kerry,

Can you elaborate a little bit on what type of bokeh filter you used? Googling it uncovered multiple possibilities, including several PS techniques and plug-ins. I'd like to explore the technique based on your recommendation.

Also, why did you decide to run the whole image through Topaz Adjust?

Thanks, Ron

Ron, I used Alien Skin Bokeh. As for the Topaz Adjust, I felt that the image was a little flat and needed "something". I tried various sharpening and contrast adjustments but found that the TA plugin, used sparingly, made the colors a little deeper and helped the hawk stand out from the bg. Don't know if it really helped or not... As mentioned by Jim, the harsh light really kills the image.

Hi Kerry,
Your final repost rocks big time...well done...:cool: