The plumage is extraordinary. Here’s my attempt, bit of sharpening to accent the feathers, saturation because the colors are just so nice, and a “portrait” crop:
12 Likes
Don’t worry, that can be considered a warm-up! I’m using my new Shredder filter for G’MIC.
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Extremely nice and sharp photo @pittendrigh! At first I thought there is nothing much to do. Then I saw blown highlights.
I used the latest ShadowsandHighlights enhanced RT5.4 (thank you @Morgan_Hardwood) to control the blown highlights in the foreground and plumage on the bird. It works extremely well. There is also new (at least to me) Soft Light module in the color tab. Used it too. The crop ratio was decided so as to give more space where the bird is looking.
Here is the outcome.
_PIC1975.jpg.out.pp3 (11.6 KB)
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… from here to southeby’s 
that image should be tagged as graphic content jejejej ej
here a song about a riffle and a bird 
Another “ShadowsandHighlights enhanced” test, trying different tools in small doses. Nothing worth mentioning in my edit, but the bird and the photo are really nice.
_PIC1975_rt_med2.jpg.out.pp3 (12.0 KB)
Nothing like a bit of mincemeat, regardless of whether it’s a bird or an image.
My take. Looks like the swallow is 
. 
1. PhotoFlow → HL mode (blend) → linear Rec2020 (no clipping) → 32f
2. gmic → fill unwanted pixels → adjust brightness, contrast (curves on subject) → contrast enhancement (on detail) → adjust chroma (curve) → crop → adjust contrast (curve) → sharpen (LoG) → resize
Zoom 100% to enjoy!
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Amazing shot, @pittendrigh!
Here is my take with PhotoFlow. I have used the newly introduced “dynamic range compressor” tool to increase the local contrast and underline the texture of the bird’s body:
PFI file: _PIC1975.pfi (41.4 KB)
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Version 2. Looks like a painting.
As a Californian, I also thought the bird was surfing.
Filmulator 1.0.0b1 > McGimp 2.10.6 > RawTherapee 5.4 newlocallab-gui
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I know my limitations, so I generally make comments on discuss and hope others deliver for me. 
@chroma_ghost played it safe this time around. 
@chroma_ghost played it safe this time around.
you try to talk with a red ball in your mouth >… 
PF ref, maybe
anyway we’ve been having so many nice versions lately !! Here there is a glow in the dark bird version from a bird from the cold with a warm heart, a napoleonic portrait from the gg butcher , the colourfull infectious z virus’ stripin’ from @Joan_Rake1, the investigations into the soul from the man eagle and last but surely not least a cool cat making a bird surf!!! fuck me we’re going all crazy… for that matter, the good shreedhar’s, sls’, jacal’s, mine and even your versions are “playing it safe”. Salu2 hombre 
On the exhale. After a deep breath.
<< is that the norm for TF shooting? I ask 'cause I always heard (and is actually how I go about it) that the shutter release is supposed to happen while holding (a bad thought, jeje), maybe there are different techniques; I’m curious, what’s your take @pittendrigh?
PS
Nice pic BTW =)
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One of the techniques (the one I use, at least) is taking a deep breath, holding a little bit, then releasing the shutter while slowly and uniformly exhaling.
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Hand holding or mono-poding a 600mm is like shooting a rifle at long range. I exhale slowly and squeeze, slowly and gently.
Birding guides typically carry a tripod with spotting scope attached, with DSLR and 600mm lens hanging on a shoulder strap. If said camera is set to rapid fire each time the shutter is pressed a barrage of 6 or more photos is produced for each press. Of which one or two might be in sharp focus. If ISO is high enough.
Shooting (photographing) birds in flight is like swinging a shotgun (I don’t anymore but I once did). Relax your arms arms, exhale, swing. Shoot. Never ever pause. Once the swing starts keep it moving until you click!
For this one I had to raise camera and monopod together, and swing them both.
4 Likes
Thank you for detailed explanation and example 
In the market for a shotgun then, 2-train-me-swing
then gonna bump the izo, carry oil proxpector and
barrage in the exhalin’ like there is no milk, hopefully
get a bit sharper 
inchalah maria magdalena 
1 Like