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Yellow-Headed Caracara
Yellow-Headed Caracara
riot


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: National Parks (Standard Editing*)
Camera: Canon EOS-20D
Lens: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS
Location: Some wildlife sanctuary or other, England
Date: Jun 19, 2012
Aperture: f/10
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/250
Galleries: Animals, Birds
Date Uploaded: Aug 29, 2016

 Just because it's a wild animal in a wildlife refuge doesn't mean you can't use artificial light.

I took this a few years ago, when I was reaching a point of disillusionment with wildlife photography as a whole. So what if you can shoot a wild bird in its natural habitat with a long lens and capture it exactly the same way everyone else does? Why does posing and studio lighting have to be confined to the studio, and human models? What happens if you break this taboo about wildlife and artificial light, and start treating your wild animals the same way as your studio models?

This Yellow-Headed Caracara was shot in a wild environment, but with a single portable flash remotely triggered off to the left of the frame. Actually a shot in broad overcast daylight, the flash allowed me to shoot with a low iso and fast shutter, and turn this into a dramatic low-key scene.

Some may recognise this as similar in style to another artificially lit wildlife photo, Ecliptic:

In fact this was shot in the same week, at more or less the same location, and of course with the same motive.

After I took these photos, I put down my arms and went away from photography as a whole for a few years. Now I'm back with a slightly different perspective, but this was one of the shots I liked more from that period that I never got to enter on DPChallenge back then - so it's nice to be able to trawl my archives now to dig out something like this.

Editing steps: Contrast adjustmenet, dodging and burning, cloning of stray feathers (these guys are messy eaters), resize, selective sharpen.

Statistics
Place: 93 out of 131
Avg (all users): 5.4945
Avg (commenters): 6.5000
Avg (participants): 5.5517
Avg (non-participants): 5.3939
Views since voting: 588
Views during voting: 154
Votes: 91
Comments: 3
Favorites: 0

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AuthorThread
Sony Alpha a1 II
Sony FE 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G OSS
 09/06/2016 12:45:44 PM
Hello from the critique club

An interesting image that meets the challenge well.

I agree Eugene, why not give your birds the full model treatment especially if the end result is as good as it is here! Not only is there some lovely feather detail but the tip of that beak is wonderfully emphasised through the judicious placing of the light. The highlight in the eye also adds to the atmosphere and all of this against that black backdrop it all works so well. We’re all really pleased you got the chance to submit this and we’re also pleased you came back, keep up the good work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
Sony Alpha a55
Sony DT 50mm f/1.8 SAM
 09/03/2016 08:09:03 PM
Somebody should call the Sierra Club , alert them to all the wonderful photos in this challenge. It's truly amazing. What a beautiful planet we have to live on. Thanks for posting this shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D750
Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II
 09/02/2016 01:42:37 PM
Good feather detail and clarity on the eye and beak. I'm wondering how you got the black background...taken in a National Zoo? I'll be curious where this was taken. And I like your crop for this as well...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
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