Tor Nenzen
December 2024 - Eagle Staredown
About the Image(s)
This image was taken yesterday while walking my dog at the local park. There are often bald eagles there and this was one of the females. I like how she held my gaze with confidence. On the technical side, I overexposed by 1 stop to prevent the bird from getting too dark. It was a choice to expose for the bird or for the sky, so I chose the bird. That's where the in-camera histogram came in really handy.
(400mm, 1/1000s, ISO 800, f6.3, +1 exposure comp.)
Have a terrific Christmas holiday!
5 comments posted
Congrats on hitting the exposure right-on resulting in a high key shot. If female it looks like a juvenile according to Birds of the World. The plumage is similar between sexes at all ages. Posted: 12/06/2024 00:40:54
This is another great image, Tor.
I like the composition with this majestic bird perched prominently on top the barren branches. It's relaxed but alert pose adds character to the image.
The composition is effective in that it places the bird off-centre, allowing the lines of the branches to guide the eye directly to the subject. I think you did well with your aperture settings as there is an impressive level of detail in the plumage. Well done! Posted: 12/06/2024 23:28:10
I like the composition with this majestic bird perched prominently on top the barren branches. It's relaxed but alert pose adds character to the image.
The composition is effective in that it places the bird off-centre, allowing the lines of the branches to guide the eye directly to the subject. I think you did well with your aperture settings as there is an impressive level of detail in the plumage. Well done! Posted: 12/06/2024 23:28:10
Tor,
Outstanding image!!! Love the high Key style. Love the texture of the dead wood as well as the feathers.
I have been photographing birds as of late and one thing I've learned is that the eyes are the most important part of the image. So, in editing, I've been creating a brush mask on each eye and "paint" in lightening to enhance its importance.
Give it a try and see how you like it. Posted: 12/09/2024 22:24:44
Outstanding image!!! Love the high Key style. Love the texture of the dead wood as well as the feathers.
I have been photographing birds as of late and one thing I've learned is that the eyes are the most important part of the image. So, in editing, I've been creating a brush mask on each eye and "paint" in lightening to enhance its importance.
Give it a try and see how you like it. Posted: 12/09/2024 22:24:44
Excellent high-key image! My only suggestion might be to remove that small branch that's pointing toward the left upper corner. Then I look at it again and think it adds balance. Not sure. If it were my image, I would play with it. Either way, it's a great capture of a majestic bird! Posted: 12/16/2024 23:33:20
Tor, since you were walking your dog, I assume this was hand held. Very sharp, and the feathers have great detail. I like the composition of the branches. I admire the high key shot. Our Club had a zoom meeting teaching this, but I never experimented with it. Did you do any editing of masking? Just wondering why the feathers around the head are so smooth. I get that result whether it's man or beast when I mask the background to change the exposure. Since no one else mentioned it, it is probably natural. Beautiful shot. Posted: 12/18/2024 18:41:13