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Forums · UKNP

Barn Owl

Discussion

4 replies
Posted by Graham Goddard on May 19, 2010 at 12:32 PM
Barn Owl
I've been looking back through my RAW's and came across this one. I decided to processed it because I loved the way bird was just hanging in the air. I wasn't quite at the right angle when the shot was taken to get it backlit - one of those almost but 'not quite' moments which will take me back to the site to get it right !

I've had to crop about 40% to remove Calum's car which was in the BG !

Any suggestions on how to 'lift' the bird welcomed....

Camera Model Canon EOS-1D Mark III
Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/1000
Av( Aperture Value ) 4.0
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
Exposure Compensation 0
ISO Speed 800
Lens EF500mm f/4L IS USM
Focal Length 500.0mm
Posted by Ian Mason on May 19, 2010 at 1:46 PM
I really like the layered background and would try to emphasise it more. I would crop a good bit from the white sky. Might also be worth a bit of rotation to see what effect that has. I don't think the bird needs "lifted" - tonal range is very pleasing to my eye. Great shot!
Posted by Dave Courtenay on May 19, 2010 at 3:03 PM
Shame that you were not higher up to get rid of the sky, The layered background is very nice but the sky kills it for me, Maybe crop tighter to the bird so that the bird is at the top of the frame

Dave
Posted by Calum Dickson on May 20, 2010 at 5:45 AM
Apologies for having my car in the way :biggrin: But look on the bright side you got the shots.
I do like pose of the bird, and agree with the others that it doesn't need lifted. It would have been nice to have got rid of the sky and just had that layered background, but the ground was just to flat and the only raised area nearby would have put you in the wrong poition. Perhaps now the elections over there will be some soap boxes going spare to use for extra height :jump: . Definitely a project in progress

:toast:
Calum
Posted by Phil Shaw on May 20, 2010 at 2:27 PM
I think you've got to ask yourself whether its a strong enough image to spend more time on. You could do something about the white sky if you wanted to and you could increase the contrast selectively to make the bird "pop" a little more. But there is no connection between the bird and whatever it is looking at; there is also a cyan cast in the underwing that you would need to deal with and a couple of hedgerows form strong horizontal lines in the lower part of the image that would need some attention. The bird also looks a little soft so the time might be better spent in the field trying to capture a better image.