Eagle nest and parents.

[mountaindew]

Went out there yesterday and managed to get these shots. Man, it's sure windy out here! Went out there at 8 am in the morning before the big winds came.

Full frame

100% Crop

That male sitting on the branch flew swooping down by me, I think he was trying to get me away from the nest. I figured I'd better pack up and leave, but then I saw him sitting up in the branch about 50 yards. Before I put my equipment away in the car, I decided to sneak up on the tree where the eagle was sitting, I managed to take a couple of shots of him. Now, that was scary because I walked slowly about 50 yards with the 400mm with the 2X extender on the 40D, took these shot hand held. I was so worried that I'd drop my camera.

The eggs still haven't hatched yet. I'll keep an eye on it from time to time and will post pics.

The wimberley head came in yesterday afternoon, I installed it on the tripod. And man, that's pretty slick. I could move the lens around panning around like it's a machine gun on a tripod. Very smooth and fluid. I can't wait to try it out on the field!

[Steve Foss]

Marc, these are great shots. I especially like the fourth one. That down-you-nose glare from an adult bald eagle makes for a great shot, and its slightly shadowed face contains a ton of detail.

I notice the all look a bit oversaturated on my monitor (the blues and yellows are especially heavy), and I wonder if your pp work explains the halos and fringing.

I think something's going on in your pp regimen that's causing this (I see it in many of your images with the 100-400 and the new 400 f2.8), and probably it'll only take a slight change or two, because these are excellent images.

Nice work! Just wait until you start swinging that big Canon for bird-in-flight shots. The Wimberley is made to order for that.

[mountaindew]

Yep

I DO have a knack of overdoing the saturation... ...

My bad. I just have to stop playing with the PP too much and it's a overkill.

Thanks!

[finnbay]

They are some great shots.

[Steve Foss]

Well, I'll be the first to say that saturation is a judgment call that's in the hands of the artist (photographer). I saturate my images the way they look best to me, which isn't necessarily how others like them best. My general rule is not to go beyond what falls within the realm of nature's own color palette/intensity. But again, that's just my rule. I would not even have pointed it out except that I think bumping that saturation slider over so far is what's giving you colored halos and fringes.

[jonny_redhorse]

Now THAT'S" an eagle!...can see the hairs in his nostrils!.... well.... if an eagle has nose hairs! .....superb eagle images!

[buzzsaw]

The last two looks are good! FYI.. I don't even use saturation in CS3, I only use Vibrance... its kind of a "smart saturation" and only saturates areas that need it vs the entire image.

[Royce Aardahl]

Nice shots! Personally I don't like the signature in the middle or on top but I love the pics! 3 and 4 are sweet!

[mountaindew]

Thanks guys for your honest opinions!

I kept telling myself to back off on the saturation. But I don't listen. Steve, I'm a terrible making judgement call about the saturation! I'm probably color blind or something. But I'm not..sooooo...

Okey doke, let's try again. Here's same 4th photo, right from raw to jpg. Only I didn't mess with any of the pp except for what Mike's tip about the vibrance technique.

Does it look a little better? Come on guys..it's back to school for me!

eyeguy54, yeah.. about that..sorry about that...I'm a BIT paranoid about the people out there that could steal photos and use them for something else. Read an article about that little while ago. Ignore it...think it's going to be a habit, putting on the faded signature on some of the good pictures from now on.. Hope you understand.

[buzzsaw]

Way better... but I'm also at the office on an uncalibrated monitor.

[Steve Foss]

Marc, that looks perfect to my eye. Perched eagle shots with direct eye contact don't get any better than that! Exquisite detail in both shadows and highlights, and great IQ! And because the bird is parallel or nearly parallel to the focus plane, it's all in focus and sharp.

If I want to be nitpicky, there are slight sharpening halos between some of the bird's feathers and the sky. Nothing an eagle loving print buyer would notice but something we notice as photographers. Lassoing just inside the edge of the bird and applying sharpening that way will eliminate the halos along high-contrast edges.

Was that with the 2X on the 400 f2.8 or just the lens itself?

OK, next exercise. How good are you with the cloning tool? Try getting rid of all the branches in the background so it's nothing but eagle, blue sky and perch. That'll keep you busy for a minute or two. The ethics of cloning vary from photographer to photographer, but even if it's not in your own opinion ethical to clone out so much, it's MIGHTY good practice.

And lastly I'd like to say you are a VERY good sport. Even folks who SAY they want honest C&C pretty often don't want REALLY honest C&C, but you do. And your willingness also means that the hundreds of people who look in here but don't participate also can get some cool info now and then.

[mountaindew]

Steve,

I was thinking of doing that..cloning out the branches. I will do that. And will post results.

Yes, that was with the 2X on the 400 f2.8..HAND HELD! WHEW!

Aw shucks. No, I don't mind at all if I get bad C&C on any of the photos..I mean, personally I think it's great, because I can use C&C info (wether is bad or good) that as a challenge to get better.

Thanks you guys! Give me a couple of hours (around 9 or 10 pm?) till I post results about the removal of the branch. I'm grilling out tonight for my family!

[Steve Foss]

Nobody's images are perfect. I need a good solid opinion now and then just like anyone else.

That's tremendous IQ for a 2x. Looks like you got great copies of the 2x AND the 400. Good for you!

[mountaindew]

Turns out, it went faster than I thought. I lit up the charcoal, the meat it going on in a couple of minutes. My wife is wondering why I'm on my computer!

Just finished it. Went faster than I thought!

Is this better? I think I love it....

I know you can see the Clone "brush" some of the spots...will fine tune that later for the print.

Let me know if this looks better.

Thanks!

[Steve Foss]

Looks nice, Marc. I am a big fan of an uncluttered background and foreground.

[MN Shutterbug]

Marc, you done yourself proud. Nice job. It's a good feeling when it all comes together, eh?

Hope you enjoyed your grilled whatever.

[Dbl]

Marc, just a beautiful portrait. I agree with Steve on some refinement to your PP technique, you made a nice adjustment here. You did real well with this last shot. I can't image not being happy with this result! I tip my hat to you

[mountaindew]

Thanks guys!

[finnbay]

Loved the way it turned out!

[MARINERMAGNUM]

Hey,I just read the post on you getting the 400 2.8 Marc. Congrats.

I am only concerned with one thing for my own future reference...............

how did the wife take it?

[Steve Foss]

 Originally Posted By: MARINERMAGNUM

I am only concerned with one thing for my own future reference...............

how did the wife take it?

He seems still to be alive. Either that or she strangled him, dumped his body deep in a slough and has taken over the photo gear and his HSO/FM username and password.

[MARINERMAGNUM]

 Quote:

Either that or she strangled him, dumped his body deep in a slough and has taken over the photo gear

Hmmmmmmmmm....I wonder if she'd take $2500 for the 400 2.8??

Maybe the credit card statement hasn't shown up yet-she'd be none the wiser!

[finnbay]

 Quote:

I wonder if she'd take $2500 for the 400 2.8??

$2501?

[Steve Foss]

Hey, BACK DOWN YOU GUYS! I already have an e-mail in with her. This ain't no bidding war. I got DIBS!

[MARINERMAGNUM]

As usual,I got my monthly butt kickin' on the 500/600F4L savings account-new tires on the skid loader.