Jackdaw

[Steve Kaluski]

• Steve Kaluski
• www.untamedimages.co.uk
• Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic 13.5.1 (Macintosh)

Subject: Jackdaw (Coloeus)
Camera: Canon EOS R3
Lens: EF 300mm F/2.8 IS USM II & 1.4 MKIII HH
Exposure: 1/2500 at f/8 ISO4000
Original format: Landscape, very slight crop from LHS

All Raw captures perfectly exposed, confirmed by Raw Digger

Thanks to those who viewed or posted a comment on the previous image

 

[Daniel Cadieux]

This guy looks like it means business! Great perch and background - I especially like the grasses. Man, that pesky bill shadow on the breast! It's one of those things that I do not enjoy finding on my bird images, but sometimes everything else in the image makes it a keeper nonetheless.

 

[Steve Kaluski]

Man, that pesky bill shadow on the breast! It's one of those things that I do not enjoy finding on my bird images,

Thanks Dan, point taken, I had thought it was light enough not to be distracting, but...

 

[Jonathan Ashton]

I like the composition usually something like this is in portrait mode but as the subject is looking diagonally across the frame it works well. The light and detail on the Jackdaw looks very good indeed, the background grasses look a rather unusual shade of green to me (a bit rich coming from someone who has been having so much trouble with greens!!)... sort of slightly muddy grey- I am sure they must have looked like this I know how you would not have posted unless you were happy with them.

 

[Gabriela Plesea]

Thank you for sharing this image, never seen a Jackdaw before so I had to look it up and read about the species
This bird looks smaller than our crows and ravens here in SA. You managed to portray it very well, I like the pale grey plumage in contrast with the dark crown and the bright eye stands out so nicely. Pose is great and I agree with Daniel, subject looks quite menacing ( as if he/she saw something down below and was about to pounce). Love the perch, colours, BG is superb. Great IQ, detail and sharpness. So looking forward to more, Steve

 

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Jon, appreciate the feedback. Greens were soft, but the 300 f/2.8 just gives so much bokeh and there is a good distance between subject and background. There is still a richness/saturation, but again, I want it to separate the subject from the BKG and not to compete, plus it has a slight mottling within the backdrop, which to me, adds interest????

 

[Steve Kaluski]

Thank you Gabriela, BTW it was young Dan C who made the comment above, re shadow, hence my thought.The more I use this lens the more I have fallen back, in love with it and will shoot more next year in Africa.

Jon also has posted this subject.

These plagued the Kestrel site, but soon left once they arrived, as one juvenile took a Jackdaw out. Glad you liked it.

 

[James Babbitt]

These birds fascinate me. They can sometimes be a pest when you are after other species. Great detail on this bird; I sometimes have problems getting good feather detail on these. I agree with you; I like the BG and its muted colors. Do you like centering the subject on portrait shot?

 

[Steve Kaluski]

Thank you James and nice to see you back and posting.

I sometimes have problems getting good feather detail on these.

Hi James, it's like any capture, providing you get good exposure, the correct DoF and a SS that is not to slow/fast then you will nail it, no question with cameras of today and in the past. I don't know what you using now, but certainly, it's far easier to get the capture rather than not. But also how you process the file, both capture and process work hand in hand and providing you start with a sharp, well exposed file its a breeze. So many folk get tied up and over complicate the PP side of things and use too much Third party software because they read it on the web, trust me, a good raw converter and Ps that's all you need.

Do you like centering the subject on portrait shot?

Good question, it all depends upon the pose, if I have a Lion walking towards me, definitely, shoot down the barrel. If I have a Kestrel on a post looking out, Left or Right then I would put more space for the subject to look into, but then I might flip the format and shoot Landscape and give the subject room to breathe, it all depends. Saying that, if it was years ago and with a DSLR then more central as the AF was sharper in the centre and slightly tailed off towards the edges. With Mirrorless no problem, sharp all round.

Hope that helps.

 

[Phill Luckhurst]

Really like this. I find jackdaws really hard to expose well. You’ve done a great job, especially to show the little bit of iridescence on the crown with the slight purple hint.

 

[Arthur Morris]

I still do not know what a portrait it. I do not hate the rather centered composition because the grasses on our left balance things nicely. I love the curious look and the bird and the perch as well.

with love, a

 

[Steve Kaluski]

I do not hate the rather centered composition because the grasses on our left balance things nicely.

I liked the grasses too Artie, could extend the RHS very easily to more thins left and less central, but then it might be too elongated?

 

[Arthur Morris]

A bit off our left and a bit more on the right would be an option.

a