Critique Kestrel resting on a fence post

[Compuwight]

Thanks for taking the time to look at my picture. It was taken HH from my car window just after a rain storm, so dark and moody skies. f9 1/1000 850mm iso1000 spot focus, centre weighted exposure.

 

[Box Brownie]

Very nice image of a beautiful raptor....................and from the 'car hide' too

 

[Box Brownie]

Thanks for taking the time to look at my picture. It was taken HH from my car window just after a rain storm, so dark and moody skies. f9 1/1000 850mm iso1000 spot focus, centre weighted exposure.View attachment 291069

Hi Steve

None too sure from your " taken HH from my car window" whether the window was open......but it looks a tad hazy to me so as you have "Yes" to edit my images. Here is an edit with a tad of haze reduction/contrast boost

 

[Deleted member 34016]

Could do with a little more space to the left of shot Steve - but a nice image never the less



Les

 

[Phil-D]

That's a beauty Steve

Agree with the couple of things already mentioned by BB and Les, the shot could do with more clarity and more space down the left, both easily achieved in post.

I do have to question why f9 though? A larger aperture would give you either a faster ss or lower the ISO.

Also, if I remember rightly, you're using the 150-600c but say its shot @ 850 mm, have you got a teleconverter fitted?

 

[Compuwight]

Thankyou for your comments. I had been out shooting on Culver Down on the Isle of Wight and was leaving. However having seen this Kestrel several times before whilst driving back down the single road, I had my camera ready on the drivers seat and my window open on the off chance. Seeing my target I slowed to a snails pace, stopped and very slowly moved my camera to get this shot. I managed 3 shots before it heard the shutter and left.
Yes - I had a teleconverter fitted so f9, with the benefit of hindsight I should have removed said teleconverter and adjusted settings - constantly learning !
I have just installed a trial copy of Topaz to try more PP.

 

[Compuwight]

Another go in LR (still learning) tried topaz it was horrible looked like a computer generated picture so back to LR for the moment. thanks again for your comments...

 

[Cockney]

I would rotate it so the fence post is vertical.

 

[Phil-D]

I had a teleconverter fitted

That probably explains the drop in IQ but still its not bad, edits an improvement

 

[jakeblu]

Cracking shot Steve, BBs edit gives it that little more pop

 

[Compuwight]

Hi Steve

None too sure from your " taken HH from my car window" whether the window was open......but it looks a tad hazy to me so as you have "Yes" to edit my images. Here is an edit with a tad of haze reduction/contrast boost

Thanks for your comments, unfortunately after some research my LR 5 does not have the dehaze option (LR6 onwards apparently) cannot currently justify upgrading LR but that may change as it seems to have a lot of new features.

 

[Box Brownie]

Thanks for your comments, unfortunately after some research my LR 5 does not have the dehaze option (LR6 onwards apparently) cannot currently justify upgrading LR but that may change as it seems to have a lot of new features.

There is/was a 3rd party DeHaze tool that was in effect unlocking an already included by hidden feature on LR6

However, do you have Photoshop or similar program?

If so, that is what I used to improve contrast above. It is done using USM (UnSharp Mask) with settings referred to as LCE (Local Contrast Enhancement).

 

[Compuwight]

Just downloaded Photoshop Express and found dehaze and a few others.. not sure but here goes... think I have overdone PP !

 

[Sky]

That's a great improvement Steve - good stuff.