The Dragonfly and the Harrier

[Bill Dix]

D90 with 80-400 VR @ 360mm.
ISO 400, 1/4000s. @ f/5.6
Aperture priority, matrix metering, AF-A.

I'm posting this one for its curiosity, despite the technical shortcomings. The camera shake precludes this from being a keeper. At the time I shot this yesterday morning, I was attempting, with limited success, to capture an aerial dogfight between this Northern Harrier and a Red-tailed Hawk. When I looked through the images on the computer I discovered this one, with the Harrier apparently distracted by a passing dragonfly. (Truth is, he was probably looking past the dragonfly toward his adversary, but so what.) This isn't the first time that I have discovered some quirk on one of my images that I didn't know was there at the time of shooting.

I was out in a field, miles away from the car and tripod, without even a fencepost in sight to stabilize this when the dueling hawks popped up. If anyone knows how to remove camera shake in PS, please let me know.

Bill

[arash_hazeghi]

This is one **** of a pose with both DF and harrier in focus. you have eye contact too, but unfortunately IQ and sharpness is not there, it doesn't look like camera shake to me as you were 1/4000 sec and DF's wings are frozen. I think the problem is your post processing, feather detail has been destroyed due to noise reduction or some filtering. If you still have the NEF file shoot them and I will take a look.

[Bill Dix]

Looking at the original jpeg that accompanied the NEF, you may be right. I could have messed something up in PP. I can't post the NEF but could try to send it to you via email if that's what you meant. It's about 9MG. I am posting the original jpeg, which I had to crop a bit and resize to meet the max posting size. Thanks for the help.

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Bill

You should be able to to obtain excellent results handholding that lens and here with the shutter speed not an issue !!! Just need to get the bird bigger in frame for quality, the shown dof comes from the distance to subject .. the further away the more dof. Lots of large crops with good quality are given away by this fact !!!

The base image is a little under exposed which is going to always give you trouble. You didn't do all that bad with processing !!! It is a neat image !!!!

[Bill Dix]

Thanks. I think I may have oversharpened it, causing some pixellation of the feather details. It was indeed a large crop. I tried the PP a second time from scratch, and although the bird seems a bit softer, it may be slightly better, at least around the edges. It was underexposed -- I forgot to mention that I had the camera set at -0.7 EV while I was trying to capture goldfinches in the sun when the hawks appeared.

[Gus Cobos]

Hi Bill,
This is one wild capture...I like it...agree with Mr. Forns on the techs. keep them coming...:cool:

[Lance Peters]

awesome action and interaction - agree with you - OP is over sharpened.
Great timing - keep em coming.

[Thanaboon Jearkjirm]

Excellent pose, the Harrier did look right at the dragonfly. Maybe a little noise reduction in the background. Wish that this wasn't a large crop and underexposed, but you did manange to capture an excellent moment, thank for sharing.

[arash_hazeghi]

Looking at the original jpeg that accompanied the NEF, you may be right. I could have messed something up in PP. I can't post the NEF but could try to send it to you via email if that's what you meant. It's about 9MG. I am posting the original jpeg, which I had to crop a bit and resize to meet the max posting size. Thanks for the help.

yup email the NEF for me I will save it for you when I get a chance :)

[Bill Dix]

Ari, check your inbox. Thanks for the help. BTW, you have some wonderful hawk shots on your website.

Bill

[Kyle Marie Barcelos]

This is different, but i like it. I agree with Alfred. Keep them coming:D

[arash_hazeghi]

Ari, check your inbox. Thanks for the help. BTW, you have some wonderful hawk shots on your website.

Bill

hey, I didn't get the NEFs, send them to my gmail

ahazeghi at gmail dot com