Cape Vulture

[Chris van Rooyen]

Another image from my recent trip to Giants Castle. The situation was interesting in that the background mountain slopes were covered in shade, and the foreground in sunlight. This resulted in a challenging situation as far as contrast was concerned, but by the same token also created the potential for dramatic images.

Camera Model: NIKON D3
Date/Time: 2009:05:06 12:11:49
Shutter speed: 1/2500 sec
Aperture: 7.1
Exposure mode: Manual
Exposure compensation: +1/3
Flash: Off
Metering mode: Multi-segment
ISO: 1250
Lens: 600mm
Focal length: 1000mm
Focal length: 1000mm (in 35mm film)

[Kobus Tollig]

Great pose and well exposed. You did well here. Bg does have a bit of noise and light under wing looks unnatural??

[Axel Hildebrandt]

The colors really look unusual. On my monitor the plumage looks a bit yellow-greenish. Another vote for NR on the BG.

[Mark Dumbleton]

Love the pose of the bird here Chris. Yellow under wing looks unnatural.

[Mack Hicks]

Is the underwing coloration due to transluminescence through the wing? It that an unwanted characteristic? I guess it could be removed or changed in PP, or with fill flash when shooting. Asking for my edification.

[Chris van Rooyen]

Thanks for the comments guys. I agree on the yellow cast, I see it now that I looked at it in better ambient light. I reduced the saturation in the yellow channel and reduced the noise on the background for the repost. Hope this looks better:)

[Stu Bowie]

Chris, your repost is so much better. Great flying posture, with a good contrast in colours. Well captured.

[Tony Whitehead]

Perfect plane of focus, Chris. Is that yellow due to the bird flying low over the yellow grass/sandstone of the Berg and it acting like gold reflector? Repost definitely better to my eye.

[Lorant Voros]

Chris,

Nicely done again. The repost is better for sure. Love the colors.

By the way....did you completely switch to Nikon?

[Ramon M. Casares]

Nice pose, detail, and BG, I would try to tone down the bird's back and in my monitor colors still look strange.
Congratulations!

[Chris van Rooyen]

Thanks guys, comments and suggestions appreciated! Lorant yes I'm a Nikon man now:-)

[Gyorgy Szimuly]

The moment itself is lovely. Perfect wing pose showing both wing well enough.
I just wonder what painted the face blue? :? Really nice Chris.

Szimi

[Doug Brown]

The repost is a big improvement Chris! Great flight pose as usual with perfect DOF.

[Chris van Rooyen]

Thanks for the comments guys:-) Szimi, this is an adult Cape Vulture. One of its characteristics is a blue face and a straw-coloured eye. The juveniles have reddish faces and a dark eye.

[Dave Barnes]

Very interesting light you captured here Chris. I prefer the colour of the bird in the repost but think the BG colour in the original is better. (repost looks a bit too purple?). Just my 2 cents worth.
PS: super pose and comp.