MALE NORTHERN HARRIER

[gary ellwein]

Nikon D3s, Nikkor 200-400, @ 400mm, f6.3, 1/3200, iso 1250, manual mode, hand held, harsh mid AM light and subject at 70 meters. Big crop @ apprx. 25% of the original. PP in PSCS5. Toned down bg which was an overwhelming green. Reduced noise in bg. Selective Color efex pro 4 and usm sharpening of subject. It was a good birds in flight day. The wind was steady at 25-30 mph. Before taking up bird photography, I hated strong wind ( golf and fly fishing ). C & C appreciated.

Gary

[Cathy McEntee]

Beautiful image Gary! Looks sharp, pose is beautiful and background looks nice (as far as I can tell on my crummy work monitor). Nice job.

[PhilCook]

Love the upswept wings, a little soft around the head region, { better than most of my in flight raptor shots though } but lovely eye colour. The first thing that caught my eye was how bright the bird looks against the dull backdrop, I wonder if maybe a tad to dull as it tends to make the bird look almost superimposed into the image.

[Kerry Perkins]

Hi Gary, nice capture of the elusive Grey Ghost. You are fortunate to have this opportunity as you know. The large crop has robbed the image of some detail. I am really curious about your choice of ISO 1250 in bright sunlight. The image seems bright to me overall and I don't think you needed the extra boost in light. Otherwise, this is a really nice image. More detail would make it even better. Congrats on the encounter! The best situation you can hope for is to have the wind and the sun at your back.

[gary ellwein]

Thanks to all for the look and comments. This image under scores the concept that a big crop is rarely successful. These guys rarely get close enough for a frame filling shot. I have been out of the birdphotographers loop for several weeks and am looking forward to getting back into the action.

Phil, I agree this image does look over processed. I am a neophyte with Color efex pro 4, and often find my results a bit heavy handed. Is there a book, DVD, or web site that provides a comprehensive overview of CEP4? All I find on line are short videos.


Kerry, the high iso was used shortly before this shot while trying to get an image of a turtle in the shade of the ditch I was working. I was in manuel mode and hand holding. This guy appeared and I elected to increase the shutter speed to get the proper exposure. Although iso can be changed rather quickly on the D3s, working the rear command dial for shutter speed with my right thumb is quicker. My main focus for the day was shooting birds in flight. It was clear and the light was constant prompting the use of manuel mode. Had it not been for the turtle, the settings would have been more reasonable. It was the turtle's fault. What range of shutter speeds do you like for shooting birds in flight?


Gary

[Bob Miller]

Gary...ve4ry nice capture of a difficult subject. You might consider adding just a bit more color into the bg for better seperation. Looking forward to seeing more of your work!

[Kerry Perkins]

Hi Gary, I don't like to shoot BIF at less than 1/1000 - even higher if possible. Stupid turtle!