Lapwing

[Steve Kaluski]

Took a quick 45 min drive up to the Dales/Moors to see what the Grouse were up to. They were hunkering down in the heather, but there did seem to be a lot of Lapwing about, this one was pulling up worms. Be nice to have had a cleaner backdrop, but this is the environment/habitat they live in here, heather, on this particular location.

Light was variable, going from sunny to overcast, but the wind was bitter, around 4 degrees as the whole area is almost flat with vistas of around 20-30 miles on this day.

Thanks to those who posted or viewed the previous posting.

Steve

Subject: Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
Location: UK
Camera: Canon EOS R5
*Lens: EF500mm f/4L IS II USM +1.4x III HH
Exposure: 1/1600s at f/9 ISO4000
Original format: Landscape, FF
Processed via: LRCC 12.3, & PS'23 24.4.1

[Joseph Przybyla]

Hi Steve, a really neat bird I am not familiar with. Beautiful colors, nice feather detail, top shelf post-processing. I agree with your comments regarding the background, with the bird on the ground it is impossible to isolate it. Thank you for sharing.

[Brian Sump]

Steve, very nice angle on this subject with a sweet head turn.

Really like the iridescence despite quality warm light. While the bkg may not be ideal here, we've definitely seen worse :-)

Just a couple considerations - I'd love to have a little more up and left as it feels a touch tight in the frame. Also, if you could boost the whites on the cheek, they just feel a little drab and gray compared to the whites on the tail and breast... of course, perhaps they do have that effect in person, I just don't know this species.

TFS, always something to learn from in your frames!

[Steve Kaluski]

I agree with your comments regarding the background, with the bird on the ground it is impossible to isolate it.

Cheers Joe, Perhaps next time it will be more in the open with a much cleaner backdrop.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Brian, many thanks for the feedback, will try and answer them:

I'd love to have a little more up and left as it feels a touch tight in the frame.

Bad placement in the original frame, to central, needed the subject to have been a tad more right, more space left.

Also, if you could boost the whites on the cheek, they just feel a little drab and gray compared to the whites on the tail and breast... of course, perhaps they do have that effect in person, I just don't know this species.

If I boost the whites you will loose any tone, the face is quite hard to retain, hopefully the head image will illustrate the issue. Note this is almost straight from camera, it just shows the head and is a crop.

Appreciate the thoughts.

Cheers
Steve

[Brian Sump]

Ah ok, definitely more gray in the cheeks. TY for the insight.

Hi Brian, many thanks for the feedback, will try and answer them:



Bad placement in the original frame, to central, needed the subject to have been a tad more right, more space left.



If I boost the whites you will loose any tone, the face is quite hard to retain, hopefully the head image will illustrate the issue. Note this is almost straight from camera, it just shows the head and is a crop.

Appreciate the thoughts.

Cheers
Steve

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Steve ... the subject does look very nice overall with the right HA
The plumage is looking exquisite in tone and color , nicely processed .... in real life depending on the light I would expect deeper dark tones .
FG is nice and BG is as is ... not a deal breaker but could have been better .
It is just too tight ... next time without the TC

TFS Andreas

[Steve Kaluski]

It is just too tight ... next time without the TC

These can be very skittish subjects Andreas and so when shooting I needed the reach. I wasn't expecting the Lapwing to come so close in such a quick timeframe, so there was no way I could take the 1.4 off, otherwise yes, 500mm would have been better.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Looks good to me apart from being a little large in the frame for my tase.

[Steve Kaluski]

Cheers Jon, but explained why it was slightly ‘big in frame’.

[Arthur Morris]

I love the layers of feathers on the wing.

with love, artie