Red Tailed Hawk

[ehughes]

Did a little selective color to see if I could save a shot, what do you think, keep it or lose it?

http://ehughes.smugmug.com/photos/14037919-M.jpg

[pathfinder]

Did a little selective color to see if I could save a shot, what do you think, keep it or lose it?

http://ehughes.smugmug.com/photos/14037919-M.jpg


The bird is lovely. Why not select the sky and replace the dark grey with a nice pale azure or something or even a blue gradient if you don't like the background? Or clone in another sky?

On second thought, maybe that is what I should do to all the tree limbs here.... It's late. Maybe tomorrow :1drink
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/11015215-L.jpg

[ian408]

Did a little selective color to see if I could save a shot, what do you think, keep it or lose it?


Keeper. I like the way you're looking under the wing and into the eye. It's
a nice angle.

Ian

[gus]

E..it may be in the forum somewhere but could you tell me what gear you are using ? In particular what lens.

Ta
Gus

p.s. i love the shot !

[Ann McRae]

I really like the framing of his face by his wings, and good feather detail.

The desat background is okay - a bit bland, ....:dunno

[Michael Allen]

I agree its a keeper, I like the way his face is framed with his wing.

[ehughes]

E..it may be in the forum somewhere but could you tell me what gear you are using ? In particular what lens.

Ta
Gus

p.s. i love the shot !Thanks Gus, I'm using a 1DMKII and the lens for this shot was the Canon 100-400L

Ed

[ehughes]

The bird is lovely. Why not select the sky and replace the dark grey with a nice pale azure or something or even a blue gradient if you don't like the background? Or clone in another sky?

I like that red shouldered hawk you captured, such a cool bird.. Nice Shot.
Here the only one I ever got a shot at.
http://ehughes.smugmug.com/photos/14053545-M.jpg

I did try adding another color to the background but then the Hawk kind of faded away, as far as cloning in another sky, here's one where I did that, felt like I was cheating :D

http://ehughes.smugmug.com/photos/14053219-M.jpg

[Steve Cavigliano]

Ed,

Looks like a keeper to me also. I can't give any processing tips, but I do like the backlighting on that hawk (especially in the tail feathers). Plus as everyone has mentioned, it's a nice perspective with the eye peering out under the wing.


Good work :thumb


Steve

[ehughes]

Ed,

Looks like a keeper to me also. I can't give any processing tips, but I do like the backlighting on that hawk (especially in the tail feathers). Plus as everyone has mentioned, it's a nice perspective with the eye peering out under the wing.


Good work :thumb


Steve
Thanks Steve..

[ehughes]

I really like the framing of his face by his wings, and good feather detail.

The desat background is okay - a bit bland, ....:dunno
Ann, I agree with you about the background, any ideas?

[pathfinder]

The bird is lovely. Why not select the sky and replace the dark grey with a nice pale azure or something or even a blue gradient if you don't like the background? Or clone in another sky?

On second thought, maybe that is what I should do to all the tree limbs here.... It's late. Maybe tomorrow :1drink
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/11015215-S.jpg


I spent a little time extracting the image of my red shouldered hawk and your red tailed hawk. Extracting your hawk from the small image here on dgrin limited the accuracy of the extract tool, but from the original file it should do a better job. I just replaced he sky with a blue I sampled from my original image. :dunno
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/14083529-L.jpg

[gus]

I like that red shouldered hawk you captured, such a cool bird.. Nice Shot.
Here the only one I ever got a shot at.


I did try adding another color to the background but then the Hawk kind of faded away, as far as cloning in another sky, here's one where I did that, felt like I was cheating :D

http://ehughes.smugmug.com/photos/14053219-M.jpg
How goods this !! :thumb

[pathfinder]

I spent a little time extracting the image of my red shouldered hawk and your red tailed hawk. Extracting your hawk from the small image here on dgrin limited the accuracy of the extract tool, but from the original file it should do a better job. I just replaced he sky with a blue I sampled from my original image. :dunno
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/14083529-S.jpg

Hmmm... No responce to my efforts. Maybe everyone is too polite to say it looks PS'd. So I went back tonight and extracted again - getting practice with the extract tool makes it go faster and more understandable how the silly thing works.. Got to learn to use the alt and shift keys with the adjustment tools and them I cloned in a real sky from another image with my red-shouldered hawk. Is this getting any better or am I just wasting my time??
:D
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/14126311-L.jpg

[GREAPER]

Try blurring the cloudy sky a touch....

Just an idea

[ian408]

Hawk-on-a-wire and the clouded background are a great idea. But the
light levels on the hawk's tail seem to be higher than the surrounding
sky.

I think it's pretty cool what you've done both with the color and with
the clouds.

Ian

[Ann McRae]

Ann, I agree with you about the background, any ideas?
Oh, boy, now I've got to look like I can think!

I have a hard time with things like this, but you did not show us the original background, either!

Your hawk looks pretty against the blue background (sky) a la pathfinder. I do not care for the really cloudy sky...

I am still at the point that just catching an animal in the wild is exciting! I got a snowy owl a few winters ago - sitting on top of his guano covered lamp post. I thought it was wondeful, but my critics were quick to point out the guano!

Guess I am no help!
ann

[pathfinder]

Try blurring the cloudy sky a touch....

Just an idea


I thought about that but I did not retain the extraction as a layer at that point and did not want to start over. Like I said this is a learning exercise for me, and the idea to blur the background I missed. I'll keep it in mind for next time :D