Blue Breakfast

[Robert Kimbrell]

D-800 500mm
f5 ISO 1600
1/800
This bird had some amazing plumage. His bib was gracefully floating in many of the shots. But this was one of the few feeding captures. Shot on an overcast morning.

[dankearl]

Robert,
A very pleasing high key image.
Vary sharp, I might up the saturation just a tad on the bird.

[Grace Scalzo]

Very nice, Robert. Bird and prey are interesting, and the high key works well here.

[James Shadle]

Robert,
You handled the exposure very well. The image is sharp and well composed with an interesting subject.
IMO having the bird's head parallel to or looking towards the camera would make this a stronger image.

[arash_hazeghi]

I like the high key presentation, details and the food item. agree with James re a tad better HA but it is a nice shot.

TFS

[Frank Schauf]

Excellent high key shot.

[David Salem]

I agree, nice high key shot with great detail and the prey adds allot to the scene. Well done

[Jim Thomas]

love these birds! Nice details. I don't understand the left side of frame where reflection is cut off, is that a border?

Jim

[Roman Kurywczak]

HAP (including me) has caught you already.....but still a very nice high key image!

[gail bisson]

I really like this except for the very sharp edge on the left. Did you add canvas?
If you did add canvas , it needs to be softened and blurred along the edge.
If this is the way it was, I would soften the line anyway as it looks very unnatural.
The rest of the reflection is really beautiful and the prey and high key are lovely,
Gail

[Robert Kimbrell]

Thank you everyone for the replys. I have saved about 20 keepers in this series. I cant really explain why the refletion has such sharp line on the left. I agree it looks a little unnatural, But is straight out of the camera. The next few in the series are the same. I will try to soften one in P/s

[Arthur Morris]

Hey Robert, Great to see you here and thanks a stack for your membership support. Love the high key look and the prey item. This is one of those "I'd need to see the RAW file to believe it" images.... It sure looks like a really bad job of expanding canvas.

[Robert Holguin]

Very nice shot.c
I really like the high key here.
Nice pose and love its meal in its beak.
Other than the left side issue already discussed.
Well done.

[Arthur Morris]

After posting my comment in Pane #12 above, I received an e-mail from Robert. With his permission I am cut and pasting his e-mail and my responses (in blue) below:

Hi Robert,

re:

Thanks for responding to my photo " Blue Breakfast.

YAW.

I appreciate the response as I want to become a better photographer. I think your response, questions whether or not I am mis-representing my photos.

That is your interpretation but it is not at all what I said or meant.

As I stated that's the way the reflection came out of the camera.

I understand that. What I said is that in cases like this I'd need to see the RAW files to be sure that folks were not being forgetful. Sort of like, "I'mm from Missouri; show me!"

As a new member it's pretty unattractive to be called out for being untruthful about what was done in P/S, I have burned two Nef files, I will send out tomorrow to your PO. Box in Indian Lake estates.

Much better and easier to send me one via YouSendIt. You can set up a free account and shot me a RAW file today.

I hope that will be enough to let you see that it was natural and not my attempt to expand canvas.

More than. I just need to be convinced.

I must admit, I see what you see. but only minimal processing of curves, sharpening, exposure and crop were done here.


I have seen some strange things on RAW files and would love to be able to add this new, previously unseen anomaly to my mental files.

Respectfully Robert Kimbrell

No sweat bud. I shall always be indebted to you for sending me the photos that you took of me at Fort Desoto; the best one is one of my favorite-ever images of me. Do know that in no way did I mean to impugn your character.

later and love, artie

[Arthur Morris]

Robert kindly sent me the RAW (NEF) file. I gotta say I have never seen anything like it. Close examination leads me to wonder if the file is in some way corrupted. I darkened the image and executed the tight vertical crop that you see here. What is most strange, but is difficult to see here, is that there is texture to the water on the left and it appears that where it can be seen there are spots where it does not match the texture on the right. Strange indeed. Lastly, it is difficult to tell whether or not the tail has been slightly clipped by the anomaly or whatever it is.

Any additional thoughts or comments are welcome.