Photo of the Month 09/08

Gallery: AvianPosted August 15, 20083,081 views26 comments

An Honor, and a Repost

Hi All,

This time of year it's ESS for me, I do mostly landscapes and very few if any birds. I should start doing avian images in another month or two.

This is a repost from an image made back in February. I'm very happy to report that this image printed to 17x22 won the 2008 Members Choice Award at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts among 200 or so other entries in all kind of genres. And I give a lot of the credit to you all and the very good critiques I've gotten from all of you over the last few years.

Thanks All!

Best,

Jose

Comments

26 comments

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on August 15, 2008 at 8:21 PM

I remember this image Jose, it was beautiful then, beautiful now. Congrats on the Members choice Award!

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

Comment posted by Charlie VanTassel on August 15, 2008 at 8:52 PM

Well, I was going to post a Red-shouldered Hawk today.... but forget it now.

Congratulations Jose! What a great shot... the light is fantastic.

Registered on October 18, 2006, 644 Posts, 4801 Comments

Comment posted by dan elster on August 15, 2008 at 9:25 PM

Stunning Jose. The light is over the top fantastic. I guess you know that by now. Congrats.

Registered on September 23, 2005, 299 Posts, 2443 Comments

Comment posted by Larry McFerrin on August 15, 2008 at 9:43 PM

It will be a long time before I even consider posting a Red-shouldered Hawk, maybe any hawk. This is stunning Jose! Congrats, it's well deserved.

Registered on March 30, 2008, 34 Posts, 272 Comments

Comment posted by Simon Bennett on August 15, 2008 at 11:34 PM

Excellent detail and light.

Registered on February 4, 2007, 350 Posts, 4614 Comments

Comment posted by raymond j barlow on August 15, 2008 at 11:49 PM

congrats buddy, beautiful shot.

Registered on March 29, 2007, 218 Posts, 964 Comments

Comment posted by Keith A Anderson on August 16, 2008 at 11:15 AM

Obviously you had good judges! This is fantastic. Congrats.

Registered on February 13, 2006, 166 Posts, 1818 Comments

Comment posted by Andrew Yip on August 16, 2008 at 2:48 PM

Lovely light and detail. Congrats on your award!

Registered on May 7, 2008, 130 Posts, 679 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on August 16, 2008 at 6:15 PM

A worthy image in every way - well done.

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

Comment posted by Charlie VanTassel on August 16, 2008 at 6:55 PM

Jose, I keep coming back to look at this and I have to admit that I just keep wondering why this photo looks so good. Is it the light, or is there some other treatment? Or are you just that good?

It looks like it was one of those dull gray days when you took this photo. I really like the way that the colors show through. The detail is amazing.....every feather is in place.

Registered on October 18, 2006, 644 Posts, 4801 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on August 16, 2008 at 8:36 PM

Congratulations, Jose. It is a beautifu image.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by Neil Losin on August 17, 2008 at 9:18 AM

Congrats on the award, Jose! This is a great image (that I missed the first time around in February); I particularly like that the hawk isn't quite looking at you... it makes me wonder what's beyond the edges of the frame.

Registered on September 16, 2005, 145 Posts, 3524 Comments

Comment posted by Barry R. Byrd on August 19, 2008 at 12:47 PM

what a capture- beautifully illuminated- congrats

Registered on December 20, 2005, 136 Posts, 970 Comments

Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on August 19, 2008 at 2:03 PM

Lovely image Jose. Not only the light, but also the pose and the paw holding that stick. Congrats!

Registered on February 24, 2006, 504 Posts, 7203 Comments

Comment posted by Danny Shelton on August 19, 2008 at 2:09 PM

Super shot! Congrats.

Registered on October 2, 2007, 14 Posts, 1029 Comments

Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on August 19, 2008 at 4:09 PM

Hearty congratulations, Jose!! My word, this is a stunning image!

Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments

Comment posted by John Klotz on August 20, 2008 at 12:35 AM

OH,man! this just makes me want to convert to bird-ism! Beautiful comp and technique! Congrats on the award as well.
John
RMNP

Registered on January 26, 2007, 4 Posts, 47 Comments

Comment posted by Jose Suro on August 20, 2008 at 9:19 AM

Comment posted by Charlie VanTassel on 08/16/08 at 6:55 pm EST

Jose, I keep coming back to look at this and I have to admit that I just keep wondering why this photo looks so good. Is it the light, or is there some other treatment? Or are you just that good? It looks like it was one of those dull gray days when you took this photo. I really like the way that the colors show through. The detail is amazing.....every feather is in place.

Thanks Everyone. Charlie: You are right. This image was made in very early morning, with a thin high overcast - you can see the Sun's catchlight in the bird's eye. I spot metered and underexposed by 2/3 stops to hold the highlights. I'm not a big believer of exposing to the right... I then burned the background midtones a bit in PS. The sharpness was excellent, mainly because this is full frame (I zoomed out to 370mm) and was imaged at F7.1, which is the sweet spot of my lens with the 1.4xTC. Detail at the printed 17x22 is so great you can count the wrinkles in the eyelid.

Thanks again!

Jose

Registered on June 24, 2006, 267 Posts, 2273 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on August 20, 2008 at 12:32 PM

Beautiful Jose, and congrats on the EP!

Registered on April 10, 2005, 753 Posts, 21216 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Breitkreuz on September 1, 2008 at 3:22 PM

An amazing capture, Jose. Detail, colors, and textures are really wonderful. Congratulations on the MCA honor, as well as the image of the month selection here at NPN for September 08.

Registered on February 25, 2006, 525 Posts, 8448 Comments

Comment posted by Giuseppe Guadagno on September 2, 2008 at 8:17 AM

My eyes refuse to leave the sight of the infinite and perfect color tonalities of the bird and the matching cloud of colors in the back. Beautiful. Compliments.

Registered on February 3, 2007, 827 Posts, 5052 Comments

Comment posted by David Fernandez on September 2, 2008 at 8:24 AM

Congratulations on the Photo of the Month selection for 09-2008. Great work!!!

Registered on May 4, 2008, 69 Posts, 668 Comments

Comment posted by David Fine on September 2, 2008 at 3:14 PM

Jose,

it really is a remarkable photos. I was wondering if you could explain some of your photographers shorthand

I spot metered and underexposed by 2/3 stops to hold the highlights.

"I then burned the background midtones a bit in PS."

Photoshop?

The sharpness was excellent, mainly because this is full frame (I zoomed out to 370mm) and was imaged at F7.1,

at 370 mm, you could still shoot at F7.1?

which is the sweet spot of my lens with the 1.4xTC.

what is a "1.4xTC" ?

Was this digital or film? if digital, how many megapixels, and what dpi resolution?

Though I've taken photos for years, I never learned the lingo, and never had the $ for big lenses or extra stuff... Thanks

Registered on September 2, 2008, 0 Posts, 1 Comments

Comment posted by Jeffrey Sipress on September 6, 2008 at 12:23 AM

Jose, Congrats on this beautiful piece of work. Deserving to be the cover shot. I love it!

Registered on February 17, 2004, 236 Posts, 1197 Comments

Comment posted by Reno DiTullio on September 17, 2008 at 1:00 PM

Absolutely beautiful image, Jose

Registered on November 14, 2003, 130 Posts, 1644 Comments

Comment posted by Bradley Esau on September 26, 2008 at 8:34 AM

Chiming in with the others, Jose; beautiful light, interesting pose and great detail. Congrats on the award!

Registered on December 10, 2007, 30 Posts, 558 Comments