REPOST+ClearedForTakeoff

Gallery: AvianPosted January 28, 2011154 views20 comments

Lots of Sandhill Cranes around here lately, but I don't remember seeing this pose posted. This is a pose that any crane photographer should know, as it indicates the bird is getting ready to takeoff.

I find the cranes with some nice orange feathering more aesthetically pleasing than the all gray ones, so whenever I found one with some orange in the plumage showing this posture, I just stayed with it and waited for it to takeoff, which paid off with some nice flight shots. The hind end of the crane at right is an obvious but hopefully relatively minor nit, and I cloned out a bill tip on the left edge.

Your comments and critiques are appreciated. Please view larger version if possible.

Canon 7D, 500mm, tripod.

1/5000, f/6.3, ISO 400. I was focusing on flight shots, and although I may not have needed 1/5000, I also didn't need a lower ISO (400 is great on the 7D) or a narrower aperture.

Crop to 60% (10.7 of 18MP)

Comments

20 comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on January 28, 2011 at 9:06 PM

Love the larger image Brian. The bird has great color for sure and you got a tack sharp shot. Nice pose too. For me the image would be much stronger without the hind end of the other bird as the main bird's bill points right at it and the colors all work well except for the hind end. Sorry, but more than a minor nit for me, but that is just me, so take it for what it is worth.

Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on January 28, 2011 at 9:11 PM

Brian, I agree with Ron. The first place my eye went was to the bird butt. Easily cloned out if you want. Other than that, a fine image.

Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on January 28, 2011 at 9:24 PM

thanks guys--I appreciate the honest critiques. Removing it may be beyond my cloning skills, but also I find myself largely uninterested lately in major cloning projects, so it may be better to just let it go--I have a shot of a less colorful crane in the same pose without the distracting butt.

Registered on March 21, 2009, 202 Posts, 4187 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Balke on January 28, 2011 at 10:00 PM

Wonderful potential-action pose, Brian. Great color. I like the grass bg too. I'd just crop out the extra butt. Fine detail on the bird except for the shadow area. Tough to do much about that but you might be able to lighten it a bit.

Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments

Comment posted by Marc Dubuc on January 28, 2011 at 10:39 PM

I like the pose and the great colors on the plumage. Despite the "hind end", this is a great capture!

Registered on January 4, 2011, 59 Posts, 229 Comments

Comment posted by Carol Nichols on January 28, 2011 at 11:16 PM

I have not seen this pose before. It definitely looks like he is getting ready to blast off. Very nice capture of this crane.

Registered on November 7, 2007, 161 Posts, 1420 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on January 28, 2011 at 11:57 PM

Great coloring on this fellow and great pose. I'd cut out the butt of the other bird altogether if you can't clone a bit out - the dark area just draws the eye too much. It wouldn't be that off balance with the butt gone.
Nice catch!
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Barbara Graham on January 29, 2011 at 1:10 AM

I agree about possibly cloning out the other bird. This has great light and wonderful sharpness and clarity in the larger version.

Registered on July 27, 2010, 1310 Posts, 5035 Comments

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on January 29, 2011 at 7:47 AM

Brian,

The pose is great, I love the light and the setting. I'm not sure about the crane's bottom on the right side of the frame, the image would be stronger without it I think but appreciate your hesitancy to clone it out.

Registered on June 25, 2007, 491 Posts, 12566 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on January 29, 2011 at 11:25 AM

Another fine image of this beautiful bird Brian, neat pose. Looks like the moment right before it raises its wings..Technically very well done..
But the "butt" has to go

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on January 29, 2011 at 12:36 PM

I too like the stained birds as you've shown here, and am especially fond of the colors of the grasses here.

I would deal with the extraneous posterior on the left simple by cropping that side of the image. It would make the subject somewhat tight in the frame but not something that would ruin the image. IMO that's a lot better than the dishonesty of cloning out a major element.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on January 29, 2011 at 2:03 PM

Thanks for all the comments everyone, here's a repost with the offending rear (pretty much) removed. This reduces it to about 48% of original. It's not quite as tight as I feared it would be, but do you think I should have only cropped from the right and left space on top (rather than maintaining the 2:3 ratio)?

Registered on March 21, 2009, 202 Posts, 4187 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on January 30, 2011 at 6:02 AM

All systems go Brian - great pose, light and detail

cheers
Rob

Registered on November 8, 2003, 617 Posts, 8267 Comments

Comment posted by Mauro Pasquero on January 30, 2011 at 1:02 PM

Great capture, Brian. Awesome detail and light. I do prefer the repost where you cloned out the end of the other bird.
Mauro

Registered on January 21, 2010, 650 Posts, 2500 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Walters on January 30, 2011 at 7:01 PM

Great light and I really like the position of the bird.

Registered on October 30, 2005, 405 Posts, 3693 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on January 30, 2011 at 7:22 PM

Much better comp Brian. I agree, keep a bit more on the top and you got it IMO. Much stronger image now IMO.

Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on January 30, 2011 at 8:45 PM

Brian, I agree - much stronger image now and you didn't have to clone out a major element. However, I must say that for my tastes the repost is now too tight at the top, especially with the crouching posture of the crane - looks to me like the frame edge up there is pushing down on the bird. If you had as much up there as you did originally this would really work well for me.

Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on January 31, 2011 at 12:11 PM

Another wonderful crane shot Brian, I really like this pose and glad you told why it was this way. The other crane on the right does not bother me, wonderful light to show off those orange feathers, way to go.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by Monica Siri on January 31, 2011 at 12:20 PM

Brian,
great light, colors and unique pose. The repost works well for me, even if I'd add a bit to the top too.

Registered on September 20, 2009, 132 Posts, 3764 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Balke on February 4, 2011 at 9:32 AM

The repost is much better, Brian. It's interesting, as pointed out by Ron Dudley, the pose of the bird motivates many to call for more room at the top. Poor thing is being squished by the frame....a little.

Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments