As I often do, I was driving home in my ragtop (with camera in the passenger seat) from a day of birding. I still call it birding even though it's morphed into bird photography. Well this majestic beauty caught my eye as I was riding on a highway that runs along the eastern edge of the everglades. I pulled off the road and grabbed this image from the drivers seat. It was late in the morning (around 10:30) so the light was not the best. Even so, it was the perfect ending to a wonderful morning!!
1DMKIIN 400DO 1.4xtc ISO 800 F11@1/2500
Nice portrait. I like the pose and the soft cloudy BG. The image looks sharp and exposure is good.
Good plan you have, often I count Osprey as I drive over the local causeway, I have seen 9 perched at one time. I have also seen them bathe near shore right next to the causeway. But in both cases I didnt have my camera with me :)
I like the pose and how the clouds seem to frame him. You did well with the exposure also. The dark feathers seem to lack detail here at least on the monitor in this room. Did you use a noise reduction program ?
Hey Mike,
Yes I did run one round of neat image as the blue sky was faintly splotchy. I believe the lack of detail in the dark plumage had more to do with my exposure decision in harsh light. I didn't want to blow out the whites on the head. Also, I was slightly off the light angle (bright sun). As it was coming almost directly from where the beak is facing and relatively high in the sky. You can see this from the beaks shadow and the catch light in the eye. Thus dark shadows in the lower portions of the plumage and the back of the head. Tried to make the best of less than optimum light.
On my laptop sitting next to 2 windows with hazy South Bay overcast outside and I can see detail in most of the dark feathers except for the darkest tail feathers in this less than ideal conditions. If I look down at the bottom of the this page i can see the last edge of the white box on the calibration stip and the edge on the shadow box also. Take a look for yourself.
If I cheat and lift my head 1 deg I can see detail everywhere, then I lose the whites :)
David i think you did a good exposure job for the high dynamic range situation.