Critique Spar

Stuart Philpott

Stuart Philpott

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Stu
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We had staked out a buck fallow.,We knew he was holding a spot at the bottom of the vally by a fottpath. So we sat just in the wood.,on approach Shaz spotted a spar damed if I could spot it,she spooked I cursed. We settled maybe 1/2 hour later she came back I managed this but just couldn't get around a nettle,bottom front left,this was shot in fog that was patchy this morn I dunno apart from where it impinges the bird I sort of like it. I'd love to hear thoughts crit other honest ones please I'very curious on this one. Ha and besides I'm a bloody happy bunny and shouldn't have got my first spar today, But she came back. sort of nice knowing she was there twice within an hour and also used two adjacent branches to alight,all digits crossed

F70F9972 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr


take care

Stu
 
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Great take Stu… keep an eye on the WB!
 
I'm no wildlife or bird photographer but I really like this shot. The framing and depth of field plus the turned head and great focus make it a cracking shot for me. All the elements work!
 
I really like that. A great pose from the bird, great detail, a perch that suits it and a background that really sets it off. I don't think the oof foliage on the left detracts at all. Consider creating the same effect the other end of the branch and you'd have a well balanced natural vignette.
 
Kodiak Qc said:
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Great take Stu… keep an eye on the WB!
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Cheers Daniel,The WB is as shot buddy,your experienced eyes are picking up some very strange lighting conditions,we were in thick fog, but often we could see blue sky above,throw in a goodly dash of autumnal leaves and me shooting upwards and I think that is what you have seen. Daniel,I have added a touch of colour saturation and a bit of contrast,pulled back the shadows slightly and boosted the highlights slightly,all increments of one or two in DPP4 plus a bit of unsharp mask,but that's about it. Daniel we had to wait for a good while before trying to shoot into the woodland as we were there before sunrise. But unfortunately had to leave to get back to our animals before the sun burnt through the fog I was hoping for some magic at sunrise but the for was just too thick. That said a goodly dollop of luck gave me this chance,I wish I'd of had more light the shot is taken at 1/320 F5 iso 1600,I might just have been able to capture as she left as well,but maybe just maybe we will see her again if we get really lucky. She's big Daniel for a sparrow hawk, and I've wanted a shot of one for so damn long. This is lovely for me mate slowly I am learning, but I am starting to see what such a good camera and lens can give me when I do my bit .

thanks so much mate,i'll be back later about the pm

take care

Stu
 
Dark Star said:
I'm no wildlife or bird photographer but I really like this shot. The framing and depth of field plus the turned head and great focus make it a cracking shot for me. All the elements work!
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Cheers John,a huge amount of good fortune here and I'm very much a learner. We have saved and got some good tools to use which is obviously helping us along,as I've just mentioned to Daniel John every now and then I take an image and get this rush at just what a really good lens and camera are capable of. It's almost like I didn't take the picture John just get wowed by the gear,and it's capabilities. It's a lovely thing mate being given these chances when one is learning, slightly bewildering when it all seems to have come together though. Thanks for taking the time to comment John I am unsure about the foliage but I do like this one,I'm trying very hard to be objective in all this , I'm a soft sod that gets wowed by nature which doesn't help. But I think it works.

many thanks

Stu
 
Jannyfox said:
I really like that. A great pose from the bird, great detail, a perch that suits it and a background that really sets it off. I don't think the oof foliage on the left detracts at all. Consider creating the same effect the other end of the branch and you'd have a well balanced natural vignette.
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Hey Jan,thanks for this!! Jan i'm not up to speed on post processing I couldn't actually do that ,but I love the concept and idea,I will try this at some point. I think the bit of oof up front works because all the yellow greens are in harmony I don't know mate just think.

Jan, I'm on a vertical learning curve,beast of a camera only owned for a while and on a tread mill with my new job,so what i'm trying to do is learn how the devil to use the camera,maybe get lucky and save some decent raw files that I can work on later. There is so much to take in at this time I figure if I don't try to simplify it all I'll just struggle,so it's almost a step by step approach. What I'm doing now is simple and non destructive,I only have Canon's DPP no other post engines so am pretty limited, in post,but I'm cool with it. I figure if I can get close virtually off the back of the camera the rest might just follow if I put the graft in.

Tis a bloody joy this not the pic but doing it,thanks Jan for pushing me on a bit

take care

Stu
 
Definitely worth the stake out, such menacing eyes you can just tell they mean business !
 
Stuart Philpott said:
.... I am unsure about the foliage.....
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Looking at it again, and I thought this first time round, the close and out of focus foliage to the left adds a lot to the shot for me - hard to put into words but it's as if I'm there sneaking an illicit view hoping not to be spotted....ok that sounds weird...I said it was hard to put into words :)
 
AdamSi said:
Definitely worth the stake out, such menacing eyes you can just tell they mean business !
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Ha your so right Adam,,especially as the stake out was for a fallow buck or two;). Adam we have seen sparrow hawks on this patch a couple of times now,so we might just have been super lucky and chanced a favourite spot. I dare say we'll be going back to chase her. Twice seen in so short a time really bodes well,but maybe it was just a fluke time will tell buddy.
The eyes are amazing mate they just burn into one, I feel the same about the shorties!1

thanks so much Adam

Stu
 
BillN_33 said:
that's a good shot Stu
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Hey Bill, why thank you good sir:)

Bill I got so much joy from your recent sparrow hawk pics,I can't believe I'm posting an image we took so soon.Ahh mate if only I'd have been able to spot her the first time she alighted she was closer and facing us,I might even have fluked a flight shot,she came right past me very close a stunning view ,but nowt to show. Honestly I might just of got more the second time,but probably the light just wasn't there for a flight shot. Nothing is fluid for me yet, Bill, I'm so focused an trying to get something and address everything in the short space of time these chances happen under that I didn't even try for the take off shots or flight. All a work in progress Bill,

thanks for commenting

Stu
 
Dark Star said:
Looking at it again, and I thought this first time round, the close and out of focus foliage to the left adds a lot to the shot for me - hard to put into words but it's as if I'm there sneaking an illicit view hoping not to be spotted....ok that sounds weird...I said it was hard to put into words :)
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He he weird's cool here John,to be fair I think that's a bit like I felt trying to take it. It's fascinating though how an image and parts of that image convey something to an onlooker, Trying to analyse that is not easy,but it's really interesting to muse. Thanks again mate I'm very grateful for the input and still slightly bewildered to finally have taken a picture of a bird I see fairly often.

cheers

Stu
 
Stuart Philpott said:
Ha your so right Adam,,especially as the stake out was for a fallow buck or two;). Adam we have seen sparrow hawks on this patch a couple of times now,so we might just have been super lucky and chanced a favourite spot. I dare say we'll be going back to chase her. Twice seen in so short a time really bodes well,but maybe it was just a fluke time will tell buddy.
The eyes are amazing mate they just burn into one, I feel the same about the shorties!1

thanks so much Adam

Stu
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I'm sure you will be seeing it again by sounds of it ;) really look forward to more pics
 
AdamSi said:
I'm sure you will be seeing it again by sounds of it ;) really look forward to more pics
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Need the take off mate,how many birds of prey have I seen here on the perch,but what happened next is where I want to be as a tog,naturally I'm not that guy but I want it Adam it's a start huh:)

Stu
 
Yeah keep at it sometimes it's lucky but more time you spend the luckier you will get ;)
 
Cheers dude, and you too !! Ahh mate was so hoping for a nice weekend so we could both show a shortie pic on sunday night.but the weather looks pants at the moment,here's hoping anyway,I so wish we could get out more!!

take care kiddo

Stu
 
very nice never a easy bird to get close to ,so well done
 
I thought Spar was a food retail chain, never heard of it mentioned as a bird. Must be a local name for it. Do you mean Sparrow Hawk?
 
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realspeed said:
I thought Spar was a food retail chain, never heard of it mentioned as a bird. Must be a local name for it. Do you mean Sparrow Hawk?
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I knew he meant a Sparrow Hawk only because I spotted the clue in the photograph. At first I thought could it be a Wing Spar a Wooden Spar or even a Steel Spar but no it has the feathers so that was the give away. The Spar shop did crop into my thoughts but no one on here would shop at such a dreadful shop, we are all Waitrose on here. The Sparrow Thingy wins the day for me I'm about certain of that, I am glad I cleared that up.
 
Hey Bazza, Spar it has to be said is indeed a shop :) It's also a tern used in falconry I believe, for a female sparrow hawk the male being a musket..I've always used the term spar incorrectly mate, truncated just meaning sparrow hawk, but here it was deliberate.It's the slang I use in everyday speech incorrectly of course if I just saw a male, combined with well she,s a lass:) (big ol girl too) so should be called a spar, It's all a legacy from wanting to keep and fly birds of prey as a kid, I guess. But yeah I was being specific,she was really impressive mate, I still can't believe she gave me a second chance .

take care

Stu
 
the black fox said:
very nice never a easy bird to get close to ,so well done
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Jeff,been lurking a while,love a goodly dollop of what you do mate,really do!!

Right place right time gifted a second chance, you would have got more Jeff simple as!! But,damn Jeff so difficult to spot even though she was right in front of me,without the movement on the first take. She might be somewhat used to folks Jeff time will tell. Even though she knew we were there on both occasions she came back past us within yards. I've so little time Jeff I wish I could be back watching that oak for a few days,it was a rare chance and I had to walk away much before I wanted too, I think the oak might just have been the end of the route she was hunting,very very fortunate mate .

many thanks

Stu
 
KAS said:
I knew he meant a Sparrow Hawk only because I spotted the clue in the photograph. At first I thought could it be a Wing Spar a Wooden Spar or even a Steel Spar but no it has the feathers so that was the give away. The Spar shop did crop into my thoughts but no one on here would shop at such a dreadful shop, we are all Waitrose on here. The Sparrow Thingy wins the day for me I'm about certain of that, I am glad I cleared that up.
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Almost Keith:) , thanks for the kind words!

Stu
 
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