I spent last week at the National Wildlife Refuges north of Sacramento (is that Central California or Northern?) The hawks tended to be very accommodating on my final circuit of the driving loop each day and there was enough haze to create some incredibly warm light. For this image, I reduced the color temperature a bit in LR then brought the yellows and reds in the background down even more in PS. As comparison I’m also posting an as-taken version from the next frame just exported as a jpg and a severely reduced color temperature version that might help verify my ID.
Post:
Original Color Temperature:
Severely reduced color temperature:
What technical feedback would you like if any?
Any suggestions on how to handle that ridiculously warm light?
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
Anything.
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
7DII, Sigma 150-600 C @ 283 mm, hand held, f/8, 1/1250, iso 2000, manual exposure. Processed in LR & PS CC. Cropped to 4230x3626 before resizing. Taken at 5:05 pm on February 5th (the sun dropped behind the hills just a few minutes later).
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Hi Dennis, nice pose from the hawk with an engaging eye. While the background is busy, this shows how a predator can really blend in with its surroundings waiting for an opportunity. Sweet light. I’m not sure of the ID but red-shouldered looks reasonable to me.
Here is another way to deal with the cast on this original image. Keith Bauer actually taught me this method.
Duplicate the background layer, then apply filter/blur/average, then apply a curves adjustment layer and use the middle gray eyedropper on the blurred layer. Then delete the blurred layer.
In addition, I decreased some of the blue saturation in the sky and darkened the plumage on the bird a bit.
A nice look at this hawk, Dennis. How fortunate to have them perching in your back yard. I do like what David did on this to remove some of the color cast. Not sure I will remember the directions in case I ever need to do something like this. I just love his perch. Looks like an old dead tree. Is that something you set up, or is that there naturally? I know you do set up some things around for the birds. That perch just has character to it. Great shot.
Thanks, David. I saw that technique and filed it in my photoshop tricks folder. In this case, I didn’t want to lose the feel of the very warm light-just subdue it a bit.
Hi Shirley. This wasn’t a back yard shot. It was taken at the Sacramento NWR.
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Hi Dennis, I, too, was at the Sacramento NWR , but about two weeks ago. Agree that Red-shouldered Hawk is most likely the ID. There was one in a tree in the parking lot at the visitor’s center allowing fairly close shots. I also found the raptors plentiful and easily photographed, but like this shot often deep in the branches. Nice look and detail in this one.
Hello, Dennis - nice shot and actually I do like your third version best… Cheers, Hans
