This is from the archives (from 2014), discovered on a deleting binge. I decided it was worth a rework with new software, but it didn’t make much of a difference as it had been exposed to the right and there was basically no noise, and it was sharp. I’m pretty sure it was handheld, as I remember slowly sneaking up on it behind the cover of a big wood pile, but I may have been resting the camera on some of the wood.
Specific Feedback Requested
All comments welcome!
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Canon 5D3, 600mm (300mm f/2.8 IS + 2X), ISO 1600, f/6.7, 1/500 sec. Full frame. Very little done in LR. Denoise in PS but barely make a noticeable difference at 100%. The post was overexposed and I selected it and darkened it with a curve. The BG was distant winter trees and a few brighter branches were barely visible OOF so I softened them with partial opacity cloning. Added a darker vignette – that was about it.
Oh, Diane! This is so beautiful! It looks like the Vulture is actually posing for you! When I first saw the photo before reading your story I thought it was maybe taken at a bird sanctuary. But to actually get this in the wild is wonderful! Such great details and color. I love it! Awesome capture!
Thanks guys! I was afraid it looked too much like a studio portrait myself. The light was wonderfully cloudy-bright and the BG was dumb luck. By this time he was getting suspicious of me, as I carefully crept closer, hiding behind a tree and then a wood pile. But I doubt I was hiding very well. Not long after I got this shot, he flew. But I did get several more shots with various poses and without the ruffled feathers.
Yes, this is especially good, put it on a bird stamp, it’s a solid winner . Great light on the prehistoric beast. Nice job on the BR Read a report some time ago they were doing a study on the Turkey V’s facial oils for use as an anti bacterial.
It certainly does look like a studio shot. Really well done. DoF provides lots of nice feather detail thru out the photo. I like how the nice brown mottled bg matches up with the brown mottled look of the feathers.
