Hawk !!!!

[Michie Wong]

This Eurasian Eagle Owl woke up and took a keen interest in the focus of the seagulls raucous alarm - a wild hawk flying over the raptor exhibit at the San Francisco Zoo.

All critiques are welcome.

Canon 1D MK III
1/800 at f/8 - aperture priority
ISO 400
560mm (Canon 400mm 5.6 with 1.4 teleconverter)

Photoshopped for saturation and unsharp mask

Thank you for looking.
Michie

[Lana Hays]

Michie
The whites look very hot on the screen that I'm on at school so I'll have to wait until I get on another monitor for sure. I love seeing those tuffs up and the intensity of his look but I think I might prefer a little more of a turn in the head. He is a beautiful bird and worth more trips to photograph.

[Lana Hays]

Michie
I just got home from school and the whites look good on my monitor. There may be some lost detail but for the most part they seem fine.

[Michie Wong]

Thank you Lana,
You are right - now that I'm looking at the whites, they do seem a little hot... will try to bring out more of the detail if its there.
Thanks again,
Michie

[Julie Kenward]

I love it. The eye just really draws me in. Love the pattern of the feathers as well. They are a bit hot but really not bad. I like your crop as well.

[Brian Wong]

Hi Michie!

Did I meet you at Artie's Bosque Thanksgiving? I like the alert pose, but it does feel slghtly tight to me, and also agree on the contrast. How did you like the zoo?

[Michie Wong]

Thank you Julie and Brian,

This is basically a full frame image - I just took a little off the top to make the background approximately equal.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to pull anymore detail out of the whites - but I lowered the brightness just a tad so that it doesn't appear too hot.

Yes, Brian, I met you in Bosque - I hope you are doing well. Do you have any images from the workshop you'd like to share? Are you going to go back with Artie? Are you a workshop regular?

I like taking pictures at the zoo - I'm trying to do some carousel blurs and there's this swan in the petting zoo that has the most amazing eyes.... I go about 2-3 times a year - usually when I can't or haven't been anywhere for a little while.


Hey if you're in the neighborhood, I have 11 landscapes hanging at DeLessio Market and Bakery at 1695 Market Street (Next to Flax Art supplies) in San Francisco until June 30th. Drop by and have a coffee and let me know what you think.

Michie