This vixen was checking out the bait left for the raptors - hoping for an easy breakfast. She probably figured at least some of it was meant for her and her kits! She would challenge some of the smaller raptors but kept away when the Bonelli's Eagle arrived.
This was in May in central Spain, photographed in gorgeous light just as the sun came up.
Shot with the Sony A9II and the FE200-600mm at 478mm, shutter speed at 1/800 at f/6.3, ISO 3200.
After Enhance NR in Lightroom, I lightened the subject slightly, lifted shadows on the right of her face and sharpened. In PS I removed a small amount of the bait, resized and a light touch of USM for output.
What a moment Gerald, would love to have been there, cracking light!!!!
I might just add a little more NR at the top, it's just looking a tad grainy. I might also try and light it more, going darker on the LHS and brighter on the right as that is where it appears to be coming from, I've tried it and it looks good IMHO. If you have it then a little more at the foot. No idea on how high you can push the A9II, but a bit more SS just for any slight movement of the subject.
TFS
Steve
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.
Indeed a special moment! I tried the adjustments you suggested with a gradient mask on each side and while it seemed to work- I'm not sure that I got it sufficiently good to make a real difference.
The A9II has very good higher ISO performance and is practically ISO invariant in the higher range 1600 through to 52,800 - in theory! But I have been reluctant to push it that far. Perhaps I should push it more.
A beautiful image, love the setting, the fur looks good, perhaps just a little grainy, though the dof or perhaps a light breeze may have conveyed that impression to me, nevertheless a really memorable image - congratulations.
OK, if I strip away some of the inputs to the OP and view at actual size just over 12cms it looks OK, but the only thruway is to see the raw and if that is pin sharp then it just comes down to application of sharpening.
When you have a moment I would stick the camera on a tripod and shoot in dusk conditions, but exposing as far to the right as possible and if it looks too light forget it, you want the maximum capture data, NR is then a breeze and you can adjust the exposure in PP. When shooting your ISO might say 6400, but what do you think your eyes air working at?????
Yes your think is correct in LR based on your email, but you can do more in PS with masks & Curves, working back & forth between Lr & PS, then back again you can continue to hone, or work with smart objects which is great.
OK I have pushed it just to illustrate the points and obviously working with only 256 colours I can't get close to your hi Jess tiff/Raw, but as you approved a RP here you go, food for thought and hopefully to build on. I pushed it a bit more, hence the posterisation, but view it in PS for a better result.
Just awesome light we rarely get to appreciate and work in, nice one Gerald.
Steve
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.
Stunning, stunning capture Gerald! Light is just awesome, love the pose too!
Steve's RP is lovely, and must say I really enjoyed your exchanges...feels like the old days on BPN...Please post some more, we have serious issues with electricity here in SA so I cannot always go online but I do pop in whenever I have a chance, a pleasure to view your little 'vixen' image tonight.
Would have liked less on the LHS of the frame and more one the RHS, nevertheless a beautiful image and I enjoyed viewing, keep up the good work and of course, congratulations
Looking for an easy breakfast!
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