Sharp-shinned Hawk

Gallery: AvianPosted January 29, 2010345 views26 comments

This Sharpy was nice enough to land just in front of me and stay a while. One small problem. Just 4 inches or so to the left of where he sits, there was a piece of cord tied around the perch. So, once the bird flew away I walked over and untied the cord and then took some photos of the perch again. (It is important to do this quickly as the light is changing. Also, make sure your camera settings didn't change.) I then later pasted the section of perch in where the cord was. I could have easily cloned out the cord, but this worked out a little better.

D700
500mm vr
1/640
f9
iso 800

Comments

26 comments

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on January 29, 2010 at 6:59 PM

Charlie,

Good thinking to go over, remove the cord and take more images of the perch. Your PS work is virtually undectable.

I like the light on the Sharpy, the pose, the tilt to the bird's head and the great view of those feet!

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

Comment posted by dan elster on January 29, 2010 at 7:07 PM

Great PS work, it never would even occur to me to do something like that. This is an unusually nice and ''clean" shot of this species. Worthy of a field guide.

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

Comment posted by Stephen Cunliffe on January 29, 2010 at 7:20 PM

A lovely sharp Sharpy! This the kind of PS work that I very much approve of (as opposed to relocating the bird to the hood of your car, etc). Great pose, light and oof bg. Well done!

Registered on May 25, 2009, 62 Posts, 202 Comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on January 29, 2010 at 7:40 PM

Charlie,

A flawless fix and a great photo. The slight upturn of the head sets this apart from a standard hawk on a branch shot

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by KC Choo on January 29, 2010 at 7:58 PM

Your inventive mind has been put to good use again! A brilliant solution and totally cool! Great capture and I love the pose.

Registered on November 15, 2004, 519 Posts, 8278 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Saunders on January 29, 2010 at 8:43 PM

Nicely done Charlie. Sweet BG too !

Registered on February 6, 2008, 321 Posts, 3035 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Leggett on January 29, 2010 at 8:48 PM

Charlie, this is a fine pose you got of the sharpy with that alert pose and bright eye. As an alternative, I might suggest a slight crop from the right to eliminate that brighter part of the perch, and maybe a hair off the bottom for balance. Good work!

Registered on July 21, 2004, 706 Posts, 3233 Comments

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on January 29, 2010 at 9:14 PM

Beautiful. Great eye, perch bg and sharpness. Your PS work did great as well

Registered on June 30, 2009, 300 Posts, 5051 Comments

Comment posted by Douglas Graham on January 29, 2010 at 9:48 PM

I just love this photo. We have them working our backyard but I have never shot anything this good of them. Good comp here and exp is dead on. Man they have big feet!

Registered on May 14, 2009, 123 Posts, 522 Comments

Comment posted by Russell Colletta on January 29, 2010 at 9:55 PM

Very nice Charlie. Great subject, BG, expression, light and technique.

Registered on October 31, 2009, 114 Posts, 1008 Comments

Comment posted by Jay Martin on January 29, 2010 at 10:45 PM

Great shot - wow was there a plump little bird this sharpy had its eye on or what

Registered on December 6, 2005, 200 Posts, 2209 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on January 29, 2010 at 10:46 PM

Good thinking, Charlie. I'll have to remember that. Beautiful image, and the inquisitive head tilt sets it above the pack.

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

Comment posted by István Molnár on January 29, 2010 at 10:47 PM

Wonderful colors.Very nice image!
István

Registered on January 7, 2010, 114 Posts, 704 Comments

Comment posted by Simon Bennett on January 29, 2010 at 10:55 PM

Great work in the capture and post processing. Quick thinking with the cord too.

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

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on January 30, 2010 at 6:54 AM

Charlie, what an eye! I really like the setting and comp. Great PS work, I would never have attempted that surgery. I do see some color banding in the BG near the top, but I am sure that is Jpeg compression causing that. Very nice.

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

Comment posted by Keith Bauer on January 30, 2010 at 9:38 AM

Hi Charlie: Nice capture of the Sharpy. Smart thinking on the perch and the cord. I like the wonderful background and light on the bird.

Registered on November 20, 2003, 458 Posts, 4836 Comments

Comment posted by Daniel & Loana on January 30, 2010 at 10:37 AM

Very nice details, perfect BG. THank for the explanation about the cord.

D&L

Registered on October 7, 2008, 166 Posts, 3044 Comments

Comment posted by Sally King on January 30, 2010 at 10:45 AM

I love that eye. Almost comical. Love the green background and how the bird works with it.

Registered on December 2, 2008, 416 Posts, 4450 Comments

Comment posted by Ed Dubois on January 30, 2010 at 11:54 AM

Another beauty Charlie.

Really good PS work too - I can't see it.

I like your approach to getting rid of the problem. That should save you some work next time you're at that perch too.

Registered on February 22, 2005, 129 Posts, 4739 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on January 30, 2010 at 2:54 PM

Beautiful shot and bg Charlie

Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments

Comment posted by May Haga on January 30, 2010 at 8:10 PM

Wonderful image Charlie.
May

Registered on February 22, 2007, 714 Posts, 8470 Comments

Comment posted by Gaurav Manglik on January 30, 2010 at 8:34 PM

awesome

Registered on December 2, 2005, 191 Posts, 2126 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Walters on January 30, 2010 at 10:31 PM

Great photoshop work! Like the way the soft light brings out the warm colors in the hawk.

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

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on January 31, 2010 at 12:50 AM

Quick thinking Charlie. What a cute little accipiter (if that's a word that be applied to these). Like the slight tilt of the head.

cheers
Rob

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

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on January 31, 2010 at 8:09 AM

a great look from the bird--I love that eye! great job getting rid of the cord and fixing the shot. I like the suggestion to crop just a bit from the right & bottom. Beautiful shot--nice to get such a clean shot of a sharpie.

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

Comment posted by Alan Bryant on January 31, 2010 at 10:50 AM

Sweet looking image.

Nice PS work aswell

Registered on March 31, 2006, 473 Posts, 1081 Comments