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Intensity
Intensity
jbsmithana


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Free Study 2009-11 (Advanced Editing VII)
Camera: Nikon D300
Lens: Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED VR
Location: Fir Island, Washington
Date: Nov 20, 2009
Aperture: F7.1
ISO: 400
Shutter: 1/1600
Galleries: Black and White, Birds
Date Uploaded: Nov 20, 2009

Severe crop, 66%, processed in LR2
Ran multiple Nik filters in CEP and SEP
Cloned out small amount of straw stuck to talons
Resize, minor brightness/contrast, sharpen



[Dec. 1st, 2009 04:43:42 PM]

A little update during voting:
This image is receiving a number of comments about the banding in the sky, I figured it would. This was intentional. As I went through the processing and saw the banding occurring in a circular pattern I decided I liked it and pushed it a bit further. I felt it added even more drama to what was already a quite dramatic shot processed in b/w. The banding occurred due to the sever crop I did on the full size image. Even so it seems to be scoring pretty well at about 6.78 after 50 votes.

Post Voting:
Wow! I did not think this would make the top 5! What with the heavy crop and banding but I had hope as I thought it was quite dramatic. Thanks to all who voted.

And for those who asked here is the color version:

Statistics
Place: 5 out of 366
Avg (all users): 6.9108
Avg (commenters): 7.5217
Avg (participants): 6.9211
Avg (non-participants): 6.8837
Views since voting: 1709
Views during voting: 1101
Votes: 157
Comments: 33
Favorites: 5 (view)


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AuthorThread
06/07/2011 03:01:54 AM
First time I've seen this shot and I'm blown away! Higher placings were some good shots but this is definitely blue ribbon material.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/19/2011 03:17:34 PM
One of my all time faves!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/10/2010 03:43:44 PM
OMG .. this is amazing .. the way the bird is looking straight at you .. talk about a wonderful capture ... :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/17/2009 04:34:46 PM
Riveting and extremely pleasing at the same time; I think because of the watercolour/brush painting feel of the feathers. The banding, which I would not have noticed at first were it not for the comments, really seems cunningly arranged: Van Gogh-ish, even like plasma nudged away by the energy of the eagle. If I had to I would classify this as art rather than wildlife photography, an elevation in my opinion.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/09/2009 11:56:10 AM
10for the expression and framing. But what detracted most for me was the posterizing in the sky and the artifacts there.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/08/2009 10:46:57 PM
This is excellent, what a great catch. Congrats on the top ten finish, in my book could have easily been in the top three.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/08/2009 09:16:44 AM
Well, shows you what I know. :op Congratulations on your great placement.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/08/2009 03:32:02 AM
Magnificent nature shot. Glad it has done well @ DPC. Congrats.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/08/2009 12:07:01 AM
Well, this proves that banding does not injure a score here. And here I've been fussing over it when I have it in one of my own shots! Killer placement in a freestudy, congrats.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/08/2009 12:03:14 AM
Hey, JB, congrats on a top 5!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
12/07/2009 11:27:39 PM
amazing capture. This is more than three times higher than my usual score for bald eagles.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/07/2009 09:41:12 PM
Awesome!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/07/2009 08:38:56 PM
I am soooooooooooooooo sick of eagle shots, because they are all nearly identical -- Crisp yellow beak in profile, photoshopped eyes, detailed feather array, etc. But not this one. Thanks for showing us something different, that captures the bird and not the ideal. 10.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/07/2009 08:12:37 PM
Hello! Capture is fantastic, the editing not so much. Perhaps a little over sharpened.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/07/2009 03:35:05 PM
The processing is producing circular rings in the BG, which is very unfortunate. Hell of a capture regardless.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/07/2009 01:07:41 PM
You are so lucky - what a catch!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/07/2009 12:12:45 PM
Great expression you captured! 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/07/2009 12:31:49 AM
To me he has more of a guilty caught in the act look in his eye. Interesting shot in that it is not the normal eagle picture with their wings spread out. I would have like to have seen it in color.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/06/2009 03:06:11 PM
Stark image. Reminds us this is a predator and it feels like its attention has just fallen on ME. Kind of spooky in a way. I like it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/06/2009 12:21:18 AM
Nice action shot. The eagle is looking right into the camera. I would like to see how it looks in color. One of my high score, good luck.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/05/2009 11:11:21 AM
Wow; great pose and look at those talons!! Nice to see an eagle in action.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/04/2009 05:37:35 PM
You couldn't have captured this any better.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/04/2009 12:35:05 PM
Wow. So majestic and powerful, beautiful capture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/04/2009 11:06:29 AM
Ohmy! I'm gasping! I can't think of a superlative that describes how cool this is. I'll say it with my vote. How's that :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/04/2009 10:07:07 AM
Very good! My monitor shows a lot of background target banding but very good nonetheless.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/03/2009 12:37:39 PM
excellent shot...beautiful bird
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/02/2009 04:47:48 PM
Amazing capture
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/02/2009 12:48:51 AM
The "you lookin' at me?" capture is magnificent. The banding and halos are less so. Regardless, this is great capture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/01/2009 02:11:42 PM
Amazing pose you captured. A lot of banding in the sky, though.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/01/2009 10:28:02 AM
He looks like the bald eagle that looks the other way when he's flying, and then hits a big tree. the other eagles going like: "HEY! HARVEY!" Harvey's like: "HUH?" BANG! Nevermind me... Commenting to much. Beautifull photo this is
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/01/2009 08:55:37 AM
The form captured is amazing...processing and final presentation is so-so.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/01/2009 03:22:37 AM
this is the most interesting eagle photo in this challenge
  Photographer found comment helpful.
12/01/2009 12:23:19 AM
Killer shot. A bit of banding in the sky (I've battled that myself), but somehow it seems to add to the impact of the shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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