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Sony Forums Challenges | all galleries >> Challenge 131: Two or Three (hosted by MFC) >> Challenge 131: Eligible > edit image
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24-NOV-2006 Justin Miller

Osprey and His Prey*
by Justin Miller

Lucky catch for me yesterday strolling through a local park/garden at sunset - saw this huge osprey in a tree across the lake who had captured himself a mighty fine dinner.

Full 12x zoom plus HD1758 teleextender.

Sony DSC-H5
1/320s f/4.0 at 72.0mm iso125 full exif

other sizes: small medium original auto
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Justin Miller01-Dec-2006 00:35
Thank you Simon. I was so excited about getting the shot of the osprey (and posting a thread of a series of shots in the forum) that it dawned on me to enter it here too. I failed to do any more processing at all other than a simple crop, resize, and USM. MFC had some nicer examples of this in the demo folder that he worked on, which gave it more 'pop'...but I ran out of time to get in here and fix up my entry before the close! The advice is well appreciated - post processing is something I'm often too lazy to do, but it really does make a difference.
Guest 30-Nov-2006 10:41
Hi Justin. A lucky capture indeed - good use of the zoom. Really sharp. Would be good to somehow liven this image through post processing as it feels a little flat. Maybe selective increase on the foreground (select background colour and invert) levels? Slight increase in saturation. The background could have the same applied. Would make the shot zing. Good capture, though. I can see right in to the osprey's eye.
Justin Miller26-Nov-2006 23:33
Thanks MFC. I've commented - like what you've done on one of the two...thanks for the suggestions!
Sony Forums Challenges25-Nov-2006 23:38
Justin, I put some trial versions in the Demo folder. Please let me know your opinions. MFC
Justin Miller25-Nov-2006 23:12
Not at all, MFC...I don't have a good hang of levels yet, so I'd be curious what it can do. I always go with the '*' as I welcome any input on my photos!

Thank you kindly Katherine. The fish was probably 12" or more...looked like a bass. The osprey had a 5+ foot wingspan!
Katherine Stanback's Photos25-Nov-2006 20:25
Great shot - I've never seen a bird haul around a big fish like that!
Sony Forums Challenges25-Nov-2006 20:23
Justin, Ospreys are beautiful birds...and expert fisherman, as witnessed by that big catch. Lucky you could zoom in that close for a nice catch yourself :) I like how you composed/cropped this...neat pose to the wings. Nice shot of the two of them way up in that tree-top. MFC

(*) Would you mind if I played a little with the levels of this photo in the Demo folder?