Prairie Falcon Fledgling - Ready for Takeoff!

[Jim Neiger]

Southern Idaho - 1DX, 600mm, hand held, 1/2500, F4.5, ISO 800, manual exposure

From my BOP workshop in June

[David Salem]

Very nice Jim! Great looking detail in the face of this beautiful young falcon. The rock with the lichen, the smooth BG and the pre-launch pose with the down and dander in the air looks great. Perfect comp too. Well done. BFAM

[Robert Kimbrell]

Well done Jim, I also like the lichen on the rock, Well composed. with attractive pose and background.

[Dvir Barkay]

Great shot, maybe only complaint is the OOF plants before the perch?

[dankearl]

if you have more above, I would crop some off the bottom and add to the top.
Excellent IQ of the Bird, just realistic 3d look to it.....

[Loi Nguyen]

Jim, this is really beautiful and tack sharp. I'm with Dan regarding wanting more room up top and a little less bottom. TFS. Loi

[christopher galeski]

nice takeoff pose,good IQ,great BG and perch,love the lichen on the rock.

[WillieHall]

agree with all positive comments above. One question, I am often tempted to add catchlight to a black eye like this, just seems to add life to a "dead" looking eye. Sometimes it works and sometimes not but real interested in others view of this.

[keith mitchell]

Jim think Dan as a point re the cropping, but that apart I do think it's excellent, pleasure to view.
Be interested to read any comments on Willies comments.

Keith.

[gail bisson]

Nice one Jim!
Like the raindrops and that great BG.
Agree with others about more room on the top.
Gail

[Daniel Cadieux]

How cool is that! Very "#D" as another poster mentions. Although I wish for more of the tail being visible I do like the pose. Neat rock with the lichens on it. I like the suggested comp tweak.

agree with all positive comments above. One question, I am often tempted to add catchlight to a black eye like this, just seems to add life to a "dead" looking eye. Sometimes it works and sometimes not but real interested in others view of this.

Not sure how Jim approaches this but for me, in a case like this, I will not add a catchlight but will often enhance (lighten, using the dodge tool) the current existing reflection (which you can see in the top third of the eye).

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

Very cool is the word!
Love these raptors and this one came out pretty nice! lovely talons, the rock with all those lichens add to the image and bring extra color into play.
Composition wise, I like it as is and would not change anything.

[Glenn Conlan]

Your Prairie falcon shots are all fantastic we don't see that many in our area anymore, the Peregrines have run them off. Love the perch and the detail throughout the bird.

Glenn