Stephanie McAndrews
February 2025 - Red-tailed Hawk soaring
About the Image(s)
Taken- Westminster, CO Alexx Pond Park
Was able to capture this beautiful bird as it took off from its mate. Note: I just bought a cabin in Colorado and I want to frame local wildlife for the walls. I’m considering multiple photos- in the tree, in the air wings up, and wings down.
OM-1 150mm f/8 1/2500 sec. ISO 1250
Post processing- very minimal, denoise , sharpen, and crop.
3 comments posted
Stephanie - I feel a bit out of place this month - 2 bird photos and one bison.
Very nice shot, good color and very sharp with catch eye reflection - very cool.
I was told by someone that judges prefer images going left to right. My response was, well if the images was taken going right to left no big dear, right? Then I was told to flip the image. I said no because you (the person) was asking me to cheat and that is not acceptable.
I like your image! Posted: 02/11/2025 00:43:49
Very nice shot, good color and very sharp with catch eye reflection - very cool.
I was told by someone that judges prefer images going left to right. My response was, well if the images was taken going right to left no big dear, right? Then I was told to flip the image. I said no because you (the person) was asking me to cheat and that is not acceptable.
I like your image! Posted: 02/11/2025 00:43:49
Excellent capture! How much cropping? 150 mm is not much of a zoom.
As for flipping image -for artistic purposes you can do what you like. However, if you are participating in the Nature competition, it's not permitted. Winning images are usually compared to the raw files to make sure that there was no manipulation. Posted: 02/11/2025 20:39:12
As for flipping image -for artistic purposes you can do what you like. However, if you are participating in the Nature competition, it's not permitted. Winning images are usually compared to the raw files to make sure that there was no manipulation. Posted: 02/11/2025 20:39:12
Stephanie McAndrews
Thank you for your comments. I am glad to know you can't flip images for competition. Since we are just a small group, I was wondering if I could share my photographic ramblings. I was torn as to what image to share. I chose this hawk because he was close to me and was very sharp. I prefer to include more of the environment or action but I didn't have anything on my new external drive that I liked. The very next day, I got a beautiful image of an Anna's hummingbird feeding! I do not do much editing of my photos as I am still learning Photoshop and now Lightroom. I just signed up for an Intro Photoshop PSA Online Course, maybe I can figure out my workflow better. I shoot in jpg and raw because it takes me too long to view my images in raw. I am still learning the settings for my OM-1 and just started shooting in Manual rather than Aperture Priority. I now have more images that are very good, but have to wade through the 2,000 I have taken during a shoot. As for photoshop and lightroom, I haven't decided which programs I should use, the desktop versions or the creative cloud, any thoughts? I can never seem to find my favorite photos as I have too many external drives to look through. I need to learn more so I don't get so frustrated with the technology. I had a photo exhibit with 60 framed images and had to change all my photos to 11 x 14 so they fit nicely in a standard 16 x 20 frame. This is not one of the ratios I can choose easily when cropping. Any general or specific suggestions would help. How do you catalogue your photos? What does your work flow look like? This is my first year in PSA and I really hope this photoshop online course will help me. Thank you for your feedback on my photos.
Also, I am looking for information about African Safari companies that photographers like and are not too expensive (I am fine sleeping in tents and hiking to get good shots). I also would love to find someone to go to Tanzania or another African country within the next 12 months; my husband is not a photographer.
FYI my husband and I just bought a cabin near Golden Gate Canyon State Park in Colorado. While I was shoveling our drive I saw 3 moose! I learned that this is a regular route. I am back in AZ now but am hoping to get some wonderful shots of them in the future.
Thanks! Have a great month shooting and I look forward to seeing your images! Posted: 02/19/2025 05:10:49
Also, I am looking for information about African Safari companies that photographers like and are not too expensive (I am fine sleeping in tents and hiking to get good shots). I also would love to find someone to go to Tanzania or another African country within the next 12 months; my husband is not a photographer.
FYI my husband and I just bought a cabin near Golden Gate Canyon State Park in Colorado. While I was shoveling our drive I saw 3 moose! I learned that this is a regular route. I am back in AZ now but am hoping to get some wonderful shots of them in the future.
Thanks! Have a great month shooting and I look forward to seeing your images! Posted: 02/19/2025 05:10:49