White-tailed Sea Eagle

[Per-Gunnar Ostby]

From a trip last year in Japan

1D3
600 f4
ISO 400
1/800s
f11
Manual

[Bryan Hix]

I like what looks like a little left over meal on the beak. Also, I don't know if there was snow or something reflecting upwards, but I love the lighting underneath the wings.

[Randy Stout]

Per-Gunnar:

Magnificent eagle, well exposed, sharp. The lighting is interesting, a fairly subtle spotlight effect on head and birds right wing, without much loss of detail in the shadows. Must have been fairly soft light to allow this, or skillful post work!

Nice comp. could see a sliver more on left, but good as posted.

Cheers

Randy

[Jim Fenton]

Agree with everything Randy said...the lighting or post lighting, whichever it is confused me a bit and if this is pulled up in post, it did a great job on the underwing.

I think it could use a hair more contrast / black depth.

Like the remnants of the meal on the beak although I wished there was some separation between it and the body, but that's tough from this angle.

Nice job on the sharpness given the shutter speed!

[Art Kornienko]

Second for bit more contrast/black, but love the pose

[Jonathan Ashton]

Great image but i agree the first thing I thought was it could do with a little more contrast/richer blacks.

[Marina Scarr]

Stunning capture and bird. I also was confused when I saw the underwings. Either you had some pretty amazing light or you are very skillful with PP. Love the blood on the beak. Personally like the contrast as is.

[Per-Gunnar Ostby]

Thanks for the comments guys - the underwing lighting actually comes from snow which is one of the reasons that Hokkaido is such a great place to shoot in winter (if you get sun that is...)

I have reposted with a little more contrast - didn't want to go too far

[Arthur Morris]

Killer image PGO. I would just move the bird back and down in the frame a bit. Simply superb.