Huge Talons (Osprey)

Gallery: AvianPosted February 13, 2012605 views17 comments

D300s
600mm w/o TC
1/2000
ISO 500
Metering (Pattern)
Aperture Priority
Exposure Compensation - 1.00
White Balance Cloudy
Distance 63.10 Meters
Taken January 19th (Lake Hodges)
Wimberly Head on Tripod

Another osprey image....Sorry. I like this one because of the head on approach and eye contact....and those HUGE Talons. The light was pretty good that day and I like the water color. This is where I shot the Grebes running so this is the same basic water color as that shot had although I was in a slightly different location. He missed his fish but later in the day he caught a fish and had a Bald Eagle chase him around and force him to drop the fish. Way too far away to get a decent image though. Anyway, I hope you like this one. This was cropped significantly (63%, only 37% of the original image is left here) so I hope it holds up ok. I was not using a TC this day. Thanks for looking and thank you all for your recent feedback. I really appreciate it.

Comments

17 comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on February 13, 2012 at 8:23 PM

Another spectacular image David, great eye contact and action, the crop holds up well.

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

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on February 13, 2012 at 8:30 PM

Excellent wing position, great stare and flying water, and unusual water colours.

Sanbdy

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

Comment posted by Angela McCain on February 13, 2012 at 8:36 PM

Really nice, David. You certainly seem to have a special relationship with the osprey. I love this one especially. That intense eye contact, and I agree with you about the size of the feet and talons. Wing position, splash. All are great.

Registered on April 19, 2009, 367 Posts, 3589 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on February 13, 2012 at 9:02 PM

Image quality holds up very well, David. I like the pose a lot. The head-on look is very striking and the flared wet feathers give it a particularly fierce look.

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

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on February 13, 2012 at 9:03 PM

great action and eye contact, David. love the flying water too. I'd not have guessed the crop. well done--keep up the great work!

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

Comment posted by Charlie VanTassel on February 13, 2012 at 11:11 PM

This is very cool, David.

And to think that you're just an hour north of here.

Nice work.

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

Comment posted by Hans Overduin on February 14, 2012 at 5:55 AM

Great action shot ! Like it lots. The eyes are just amazing... The image looks slightly tilted to me when looking at the darker ring of water underneath the bird. Other than that no remarks, except:

Registered on August 31, 2011, 491 Posts, 3807 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Balke on February 14, 2012 at 9:41 AM

Outstanding action shot, David. The image quality looks great to me. Those eyes and the splashing water combined with the head-on view makes for quite an attention-getting shot.

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

Comment posted by William Bickle on February 14, 2012 at 10:38 AM

Hello David

Congrats !!!! Another Beauty, So Many things to Like within this Image. Yes the Crop holds up Great.

REALLY Enjoy. TFS

Bill

Registered on June 13, 2011, 183 Posts, 1702 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on February 14, 2012 at 1:34 PM

Poor guy, he looks thoroughly disgusted that he missed his meal. But it made for an incredible photo for you, a great head on flight and flying water catch. Excellent Work David

Ken Archer

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Kleinfelder on February 15, 2012 at 5:18 PM

Superb image, great head-on look

Registered on September 6, 2011, 14 Posts, 71 Comments

Comment posted by Tonia Graves on February 15, 2012 at 9:42 PM

Very cool w/ the head-on approach! Lighting looks nice as well as the wing position.

Registered on October 29, 2011, 92 Posts, 1035 Comments

Comment posted by Luca Mussato on February 16, 2012 at 5:55 AM

I'm guessing why to me it always happens that they fly in the opposite direction

i like this very much especially for the droplets between the wings and because of the eye contact.

Cheers, Luca

Registered on November 14, 2006, 118 Posts, 855 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on February 16, 2012 at 11:12 AM

Wonderful head on view and that view/angle is very hard to get. The crop has held up very well and the image is sharp where it needs to be. I like seeing the wings up, the look and water splash, excellent timing to get this, way to go.

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

Comment posted by Roger Kirchen on February 16, 2012 at 10:16 PM

Great timing. Love the look and the position of the wings. The water droplets add to it. Holds up very well at this crop.

Registered on March 6, 2011, 95 Posts, 847 Comments

Comment posted by Eirini Pajak on February 18, 2012 at 6:32 AM

Great head on shot! Did not realize these guys could look so angular...Also a nice view of some enormous feet!

Registered on December 13, 2011, 216 Posts, 1671 Comments

Comment posted by Eric Diller on March 3, 2012 at 6:40 AM

Image speaks for itself! Awesome capture.....

Registered on October 2, 2009, 69 Posts, 434 Comments