The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
My wife and I were at our favorite National Wildlife Refuge, Sacramento NWR in Northern California. This red shouldered hawk flew in, to a tree right next to our car and ate it’s snack in front of us.
Specific Feedback
The main trunk of the tree behind the hawk was very busy with small wispy limbs. I ended up cloning out a lot of them right behind the bird’s head and a few in front of the trunk. This full frame, should I have cropped a bit off the right side to move the hawk to the right in the frame?
Technical Details
Canon 7D, MII, f8, 1/800 sec, iso 1600, -0.7 exp bias, 560 mm (100-400/1.4 TC)
Hi Ed, very nice catch of this hawk. This individual is more on the rusty side than I’m used to seeing in Tennessee. I like the head to tail sharpness and the inclusion of prey adds a lot of interest. Nice pose with a good look at the eye and that curved beak. For me, the tree trunk on the right frames the bird well especially since the angle pretty much mirrors the angle of the bird. The scraggly limb and branches on the left is interesting too.
Nice pose and intense look! I think the textures look good throughout the frame. I do think it’s a tad warm though and the colors are a bit muddy and lack separation. Looks as though it was overcast or cloudy and I find that my camera’s white balance gets overwhelmed in these conditions so I always double check and cool it down some. I am left wondering what it’s looking at. They see everything!
Wonderful catch on an interesting perch! I agree with @Allen_Sparks and @Kris_Smith – the darks are a bit heavy, which is emphasizing the reddish look. Try bringing up the Shadows slider in the raw conversion and maybe try clicking the neutral eyedropper on one of the gray areas in the BG, for a comparison.
@Allen_Sparks, @Kris_Smith, and @Diane_Miller thank you so much for your kind comments. I asked my wife, and we both think the color of the hawk is pretty accurate in this image. I did select the hawk, and the front branch via layer, reduced the shadows and increased the contrast so the prey was more visible. I also blurred and toned down the BG and tree trunk quite a bit to decrease its impact and emphasize the hawk more. We saw anothe red shouldered hawk near this one that was much lighter in color which I will post for comparison when I get home from Williamsburg, VA next week. Diane, I will also check the color tones with the eye dropper to make sure it is in the ballpark. Thank you for trying to help me navigate the processing. I’m going to take your previous recommendation and get the Topaz denoise add in when I get a chance.
Interesting about the color variation in two individuals. I’m not a birder (I just love photographing them) and always interested in picking up a little knowledge. And color and tone depend so much on light, and on exposure once in the computer.
I keep admiring the branch it is perched on, Totally matched to the bird.
I didn’t make it over to any of the refuges in the valley this winter. Need to fix that.
@Diane_Miller, @Kris_Smith, and @Allen_Sparks I think I understand what you were looking for with this image. Not sure I got there with the Alternative, but I did the eyedropper to try to correct any improper colors and I lightened it up a bit with levels and tone adjustments. Kris, I am pretty certain the hawk was actually looking directly at my wife and I in our car.
Hi Ed, the reds do seem a bit more subdued in the repost. I didn’t mean to imply your colors were way off in the original. I just stated that individual hawk was rustier than I’m used to seeing in Tennessee. Variations do happen and you were there not me. Also, I try to show the subject as I saw it in the actual light and not take it back to a typical field guide view. Kris and Diane are more particular color afficionados than me so they may have a different take.
