Drying

[Ian Cassell]

Canon 7D
Canon EF400mm f/5.6L
1/2500sec @ f/5.6 ISO 500

This guy kept looking away from me. I spent ages waiting for him to cock his head in my direction so I wouldn't have another run-in with the HAP.

[arash_hazeghi]

excellent pose and details Ian, if the head was perfectly parallel to the sensor with the eye looking directly at you this would be over the top but great as is. You may want to sharpen the head and neck a bit more. way to go!

[Ian Cassell]

Thanks, Arash! I'm nervous with my sharpening. I tended to overdo it and now I don't do it enough.

[Alfred Forns]

Agree with Arash and would not mind a little more detail in his back, the shadow/highlight in CS5 does real well, might try it !!! Can all would like seeing the wing fully stretched out !!! Excellent !!!

[Ian Cassell]

Any better? I tried both sharpening a bit and enhancing the shadows.

[arash_hazeghi]

I think you over did a bit, try this, go to your original with no sharpening. select the bird and apply smart sharpen, amount 70, radius 0.5 click "more accurate" should get good results! cormi feathers are darker in real lide so back off a bit on HLS as well.

[Lance Peters]

HI iAN - GREAT ADVICE - Just some minor tweaks needed - Repost is a little too much.
Sweet light - like the pose and the HAP will be happy :)

[Dave Mills]

Hi Ian, nice pose with a bit over on the shadow recovery. The image doesn't call for more than some tweaks...nothing major.
The backround is nicely muted with good offset placement. Finally you have pleasing lighting!

[Ian Cassell]

Thanks, folks. Yes, Dave ... i've been paying more attention to the light!

[Dave Mills]

Ian, great! because that is the key to making an OK image to a great image...keep it up!!