Red-tailed hawk - C&C advice needed

[BrentC]

I am trying to edit this photo and try to get the best out of it and since I am still learning I would like to hear what I am missing or doing wrong or could do better. The first pic is the original and the other two has the same edit but different crop.

1. Original - This is the SOOC jpg. As you can see it was unfortunate that the sun was back right of the hawk.

Not final edit - will be removed by Brent Cameron, on Flickr

2. With this I adjusted highlights and shadow, boosted saturation and vibrance, increased contrast. Inhanced the iris. A little saturation and luminance in the yellow. I Dodged the head and some of the breast. Because the wing was clipped I felt I needed to crop in close.

Not final edit - will be removed by Brent Cameron, on Flickr

3. Same edit different crop. I think I prefer this one better.

Not final edit - will be removed by Brent Cameron, on Flickr

 

[Derrel]

On the original frame it looks like you just framed the shot up a bit too low for optimal coverage of the whole bird. On the edits, I think the shadows need to be more punchy, more contrasty. ANd I think the highlights need to be just a bit brighter, more blue-sky-day-sunshiney-feeling.

 

[ZombiesniperJr]

Nice shot

 

[kap55]

Is there any chance you would consider releasing the RAW file for people to have a go at? FWIW I think you have a great photo - it just needs a little PP that is hard to do with a jpg.

edit - I prefer second shot to third

 

[BrentC]

On the original frame it looks like you just framed the shot up a bit too low for optimal coverage of the whole bird. On the edits, I think the shadows need to be more punchy, more contrasty. ANd I think the highlights need to be just a bit brighter, more blue-sky-day-sunshiney-feeling.

It was framed correctly when he was perched. Surprised me when he took off especially since he was there for a while.

How is this?

Red-tailed Hawk by Brent Cameron, on Flickr

 

[BrentC]

Is there any chance you would consider releasing the RAW file for people to have a go at? FWIW I think you have a great photo - it just needs a little PP that is hard to do with a jpg.

edit - I prefer second shot to third

If these pictures still don't cut it I make the raw available. Here is the crop you like.

Red-tailed Hawk by Brent Cameron, on Flickr

 

[kap55]

I took your last edit and worked on it in PhotoShop for a few minutes. I wanted to raise the shadows enough so that his head was not lost with the wing background.

 

[BrentC]

I took your last edit and worked on it in PhotoShop for a few minutes. I wanted to raise the shadows enough so that his head was not lost with the wing background.

Can't see your image. I think I did go too much the other way with the shadows.

 

[ZombiesniperJr]

I took your last edit and worked on it in PhotoShop for a few minutes. I wanted to raise the shadows enough so that his head was not lost with the wing background.

I can not see it

 

[kap55]

I took your last edit and worked on it in PhotoShop for a few minutes. I wanted to raise the shadows enough so that his head was not lost with the wing background.

I can not see it

Not sure why you can't see it - I will try again...

 

[BrentC]

I took your last edit and worked on it in PhotoShop for a few minutes. I wanted to raise the shadows enough so that his head was not lost with the wing background.

I can not see it

Not sure why you can't see it - I will try again...

I can see it now. Yes much better. I will make some adjustments tonight.

 

[Derrel]

Wow, Brent, the newest image really POPS! Your highlights now have a very bright-day feel to them, more accurate I think for sunny conditions and such a blue sky.

 

[BrentC]

Wow, Brent, the newest image really POPS! Your highlights now have a very bright-day feel to them, more accurate I think for sunny conditions and such a blue sky.

Thanks Derrel. Getting feedback is helping me progress in my editing. I'll just make final adjustment to the shadows like @kap55 has done and hopefully I will have a final image.

 

[BrentC]

I took your last edit and worked on it in PhotoShop for a few minutes. I wanted to raise the shadows enough so that his head was not lost with the wing background.

I can not see it

Not sure why you can't see it - I will try again...

Was it just the shadows you raised? Or did you bring the highlights up a bit as well?

 

[kap55]

Actually it was even more that just highlights up. There is some color adjustment and sharpening and a fair bit of contrast manipulation. I would give you the settings from PhotoShop but they really wouldn't mean much because I use Topaz plugins.