Always Remodeling..

[dankearl]

Male Osprey still bringing in sticks to a nest they have been on for 4 weeks....
D500, 500mm (300 w 1.7), f4.8, 1/2000, iso1400

OSP205bp.jpg

[Arthur Morris]

Not your strongest image. Head turned away. Near-wing position is less than ideal causing the under-primaries to be shaded. The eye looks funky. And the WHITEs look over-flashed (even though I am confident that no flash was used). Thus, too contrasty?

with love, artie

[dankearl]

Thanks, Artie, love the critique!
Head angle is not great I agree. Wings not perfect, I get better ones but not
with the stick, which was the focus, I think they are OK.
This is decent crop, IQ stills seems good to me.
Whites are not blown I do not think, easily savable.
Wings and HA though are fair game....
I have commented on the eye before when someone said it was pixelated.
This male has bloodshot eyes, they look like this is in every frame (thousands).
Here is out of camera NEF, converted in C1P, using "as shot" WB for reference.
I consider this pretty good in camera exposure.
BG is far bank of river and reflection, Osprey is right on shoreline.
I am not sure it gets much better.
OSP206ff .jpg

[Colin Driscoll]

Good behavioral shot Dan. Can't help that the bird was watching where it was going to land, or the wing flap timing.
The whites do look a bit over but there is plenty of detail hidden there that a bit of highlights reduction would bring out.
Another part of the story you are collecting. Will make a great portfolio.

[Jim Crosswell]

I like the detail and great view of the talons. The BG is really nice too. It sounds like you achieved the image you were going for a beautiful Osprey bringing some building supplies to the nest. Congrats Dan.

[John Mack]

You did a good job recovering those whites. The image quality held up very nice to the large crop.