Thieving Raptor #2

[Ishmeet Sahni]

1Dx + EF 500 f/4 IS + EF 1.4 TC III
ISO-200
Aperture - f/6.3
Exposure - 1/320
Bias - +2/3
Support - Bean Bag


This image is a follow up to the image that I posted yesterday. The Montagu's Harrier Female tried to swallow the egg whole. A case of egg being bigger than the throat.
This image was taken from an SUV, as compared to the earlier image.

[nick clayton]

This is a really nice side view of a beautiful bird with good sharp details, the fact it is trying to swallow a whole egg makes the image special. The only significant criticism for me is there is a strong orange colour cast.

[nick clayton]

This is my attempted to remove the cast and I have also slightly cropped the image Ishmeet.

[Shawn Zierman]

I enjoy this image even more than the last. The shooting angle worked out perfectly here in my opinion and you really pressed the shutter button at a pivotal moment! I like the use of space better in the OP, but color wise, I like what Nick did in the repost...or maybe something in between the two versions...though that's normally what at least one person says when two color versions of the same image are presented... :)

[Daniel Cadieux]

Pretty neat frame here...the raptor seems surprised at the size of the egg! I agree with the strong colour cast, sometimes the light is so rich and warm at time of capture that we are tricked into thinking it was so yellow-orange when processing the image.

[Ishmeet Sahni]

Nick, Thank you for your comments and for taking the time to re-process my image.

Shawn, I am glad you liked this perspective better than the earlier image I had taken on a Bean Bag at ground level. The reason I went down was to try to make the image a little more dramatic. Shooting from the vehicle was not giving me the required blur in the BG, also and most importantly, the Harrier allowed me to get off from the vehicle. It was so engrossed in trying to eat the egg it was not bothered about me. What surprised me most was that I was on the side that was facing the bird.

Daniel, thank you so much for your comments.

I have reprocessed the image, please let me know what you feel about it. I had left the orange cast, coz this image was taken a little late in the evening and I was trying to stay true to the light conditions that prevailed at the time of taking the image. I have reprocessed the image in 2 ways, please let me know which one is better.

Waiting for your comments...