Another Red Tailed Hawk Takes Off

[Loi Nguyen]

I posted an image of a RTH taking off from a high tree over the weekend. This image is just before he leaped off the tree. I am struggling with the highlights and the shadow on this image. I wish I was positioned slightly to the left of the hawk to avoid the shadow. This is a good lesson for me. when the hawk perched on the tree, there was no shadow, but when he tooks off, the shadow was created by his raised wings.

1DX
500f4 II + 2X III
1/1600
f8
ISO-1600
Tripod.

PP in LR4 with reduced highlights and increased shadow, NR, and sharpen.

thank you

Loi

[Sandy Witvoet]

Fantastic capture Loi! Agree with your evaluation...but it's so easy to feel the power of these birds on a take-off image like this.

[Jeff Cashdollar]

Loi,

Nice capture did you say Photoshop was a future purchase for you, there are some functions that might here. For example the Shadows & Highlights process. In this case it was just bad timing thats why we keep the shutter on high-speed during times like this right - hope to get a keeper. As I always say, we shoot the light not the subject.

Still a few hot pixels and the mid tones could use more punch,..but what a great pose,..the power of flight,..nice moment. You can still work the image with LR too, lighten the eye and head area and play with mid tones (e.g., blacks, saturation and exposure slide). On balance, bump up the shutter for better exposure and sharper detail. Keep working him!!

[Kerry Perkins]

Loi, you will always struggle when the light is mixed like this because the camera cannot expose properly for the full sun and the shadow in the same scene. The lesson to learn is to have the sun at your back, as it is the sun position that is causing the shadow - not your position. Had you moved anywhere it all it would not make a difference, as the angle of the light source (the sun) would not have changed. It appears that the sun was high in the sky and off to your right, not ideal on either count. While it is difficult, it is best to get your subject in consistent light - either all shadow or all sun. Not always possible, but it will make the exposure much easier.

I am curious as to why the high ISO. ISO 1600 is way high for full sun! Were you trying to expose for the shadows? I have photographed a lot of hawks, and if this was full sunlight I would be shooting at ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/2500 as a baseline. I believe that your image is almost two stops overexposed. If you get the exposure down a bit, it will reduce the total dynamic range of the image so that you have a better chance of adjusting in LR.

Nice job on the flight capture and timing of the takeoff!

[Travis Reid]

Great launch but a little bright..

[Loi Nguyen]

Loi, you will always struggle when the light is mixed like this because the camera cannot expose properly for the full sun and the shadow in the same scene. The lesson to learn is to have the sun at your back, as it is the sun position that is causing the shadow - not your position. Had you moved anywhere it all it would not make a difference, as the angle of the light source (the sun) would not have changed. It appears that the sun was high in the sky and off to your right, not ideal on either count. While it is difficult, it is best to get your subject in consistent light - either all shadow or all sun. Not always possible, but it will make the exposure much easier.

I am curious as to why the high ISO. ISO 1600 is way high for full sun! Were you trying to expose for the shadows? I have photographed a lot of hawks, and if this was full sunlight I would be shooting at ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/2500 as a baseline. I believe that your image is almost two stops overexposed. If you get the exposure down a bit, it will reduce the total dynamic range of the image so that you have a better chance of adjusting in LR.

Nice job on the flight capture and timing of the takeoff!

Hi Kerry,

I did a test exposure and wanted to make sure I have data in the right hand most box of the histogram. So it appears I was pushing a bit too far and I should back off. Thank you for your comments,

[Marina Scarr]

Lovely take off pose, just wish the head weren't in the shadows.