photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Canon DSLR Challenge | all galleries >> Challenge 71: Square Composition >> Challenge 71: Eligible > Seeing Everywhere & Everything * Traveller
previous | next
04-JUL-2006 Traveller

Seeing Everywhere & Everything * Traveller

I've got about fifty of these, and I'm sorthing through what is acceptable. The hawk took a dislike to me and from 150 yards away she took it upon herself to try to scare me away. I will note that bird shots are not easy, especially fast ones, and I take my hat off to people that can do this well.

Canon EOS 350D
1/2000s f/7.1 at 200.0mm iso400 full exif

other sizes: small medium original auto
share
elips09-Jul-2006 17:49
The look in her eye is very expressive, well done! ~Sharon
Canon DSLR Challenge07-Jul-2006 23:36
Very nice. Excellent exposure and a great capture. I've been doing birds in flight for the last couple of months and know what it takes to get them. Well done. ~Harvey
Guest 07-Jul-2006 04:38
Traveller, every attacking model should be this lovely and so well captured. Kudos, -Michael
Canon DSLR Challenge06-Jul-2006 22:22
Traveller, I am totally impressed with this picture of the hawk in flight! I love taking pictures of birds but most of mine aren't worth posting. You should be very proud of this shot as birds in flight are very hard to capture - and at only 200mm! She must really have been close to get this nice a shot at that distance. I usually shoot at 300mm but have never been able to get this close. Terrific image, great pose and nice lighting - love it! :-) CJ
Canon DSLR Challenge06-Jul-2006 21:50
Thanks, Jim, but what was odd to me was that she really, really didn't like me! I was parked off the side on a dirt road, getting ready to shoot some flowers and landscapes when, from out of the hazy distance she started dive bombing me. Very strange since I felt I was so far away anyhow.

But then the Border Patrol kind of busted me, threatening me with a $700 fine for improper parking...ain't nobody anwhere around but me on that dirt track...but I moved my car to a position about a half a mile away and walked back.

And again, off the top of a high bluff, she got all flustered seeing me and when back on the attack swooping down towards me on the low-lands. I only stayed another five minutes at that location because I really didn't want to exhaust her...I also wanted her to have a sense that she won...that she in fact did drive me off.

As I left, she settled back on her nest in obvious satisfaction...lol. But when she got close to me, man she was fast, I had to pan for all I was worth just to stay with her.

Thanks again, Jim,

Best Wishes,

Traveller
Canon DSLR Challenge06-Jul-2006 19:59
I didn't see this before the NR, so all I can say is that this is mighty good! I've tried shooting birds in flight and you'll note that you've never seen me post any of what I've managed to get. So my hat is off, in this case, to Traveller for what is a great shot IMO.

The exposure is just right with the sky perfect as well as the underside of the hawk. And I can see a nice glow from the feathers in places where the sun shines right through them. I like seeing the feet and the eye too. He or she doesn't look too friendly :) Jim H.
Canon DSLR Challenge06-Jul-2006 10:07
Interestingly, I meant to use Neat Image, but accidentially instead installed NoisewareCES. What the hell it's freeware and I have not been too happy with Neat Image, so I went with Noiseware, (google it if you want a copy). Afterwards, I again opened in PhotoShop and gave the hawk only a 300%, Radius .2, threshold 0, pass of USM. (Isolated the hawk with the magic wand and grow command).

I felt that the noise clean-up dulled the hawk just a little, not what you'd expect...but still, I wanted to give the image a little more punch. Best Wishes, Traveller
jnconradie06-Jul-2006 09:03
The sky looks much better now (in my opinion). Which software do you use, by the way? [ And no kicking of any body parts intended, of course! :-) ] Regards ~jnconradie
Canon DSLR Challenge06-Jul-2006 07:26
God, Nico, I hate learning new software but that went pretty well...it may still not be perfect, but it is much better. Thanks again for the kick in the butt. Real Best Wishes, Traveller
Canon DSLR Challenge06-Jul-2006 06:28
I purposefully only sharpened with USM the hawk itself, leaving alone the sky....but the noise is still there, Eh? I'd like to cut myself some different images, but I'll give this one a go again, though I'm not very good at noise reduction software...I got it, so I guess I should learn it. Thanks for the motivation. Best Wishes, Traveller (PS, I'm still far from sure that this is even the best Hawk image, it may be days before I know whether or not this is true or not...I just pick out a likely candidate from a thumb view and see if I can wack it into submission...lol)
jnconradie06-Jul-2006 06:07
Traveller, I can only join you in the process of removing head-gear to salute those who can get fast-moving birds done well. But I think you can feel quite happy about this one yourself. Compliments! Could a bit of (more?) noise-reduction in the blue areas have helped? Regards ~jnconradie