The Destroyer

Critiques [Translate]

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• carper (8208)
• [2005-07-28 12:45]

prachtig Japie,
Leuk je weer eens te zien. Prachtige compositie, tegen de blauwe lucht, prachtige pov and een hele mooie kleuren, uitstekend werk,
gr. Jaap

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• goldfinchtr (1342)
• [2005-07-28 12:46]

Wow what a shot!It has more meaning when i read the notes so I can understand why Kite is looking like that!I can see that he felt merciful in his wild looking eyes:)
Emin

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• softflower (0)
• [2005-07-28 12:54]

Superbe photo Japie !!
Magnifique ce destroyer ;-) !
Nico.

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• paulbright (2608)
• [2005-07-28 13:30]

incredible shot. almost looks as if he/she is posing for a portrait, thanks for posting!

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• manyee (19540)
• [2005-07-28 13:43]

What an incredible shot, Japie, and what a story! The black-shouldered kite is one of my favorite birds, and this one is gorgeous. You caught him with his eyes straight at you, feathers all fluffed up, and a mouse in his talons. What else can you ask for! (Well, maybe no broken hotshoe!)
Congratulations on a fantastic picture. TFS. : )

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• extramundi (12676)
• [2005-07-28 14:03]

Hello Japie.
A pleasure to look at your work again. Hope everything goes well. Beautiful picture with really strong composition and colours.
PD: You have been a bit to kind in your critic in my last post, shapness is awful :) Best wishes.

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• wallhalla15 (13787)
• [2005-07-28 14:25]

Japie, this is a excellent Picture. Great colours, sharpness excellent, a very nice composite. Well done.

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• Fisher (8915)
• [2005-07-28 15:17]
• - [workshop] [compare] [+]

Hi Japie,

A beautiful capture and well done on the composition and lighting. I'm glad no flash was used.
The only nit, if you don't mind, I find the image abit soft, I'm looking at his eyes.
Overall, well done.
I tried a workshop for you, hope it is o.k.

Mike

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• zakiwi (1309)
• [2005-07-28 15:19]

Hey Japie,

What a fabulous shot. Nice to see that you recovered in time to get the shot. Well done.

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• AndyB (3978)
• [2005-07-28 15:45]

Hello Japie,
This is a very nice capture.
Excellent composition and POV,a great pose and a superb blue sky BG.
Nice work,well done.

TFS

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• Graal (4944)
• [2005-07-28 16:00]

Very good portrait, Japie. Here all is ok. Friends all told You. Well done.
Rgs, Aleksander

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• livios (16848)
• [2005-07-28 16:36]

Japie, sorry for the flash, but that's great to know you're okay.

Another excellent capture by you.

Great pose, pov and composition. The eyes of the bird are really amazing.

An excellent job.

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• milloup (1704)
• [2005-07-28 16:42]
• [+]

Oh, Japie, I'd have loved to watch you dancing the ballet in order to try to save your camera ;-))
Anyway, although I'm sure he's laughing in this photo, he did allow you a very nice capture in return for your efforts and costs. Those breast feathers look soo soft and fluffy. Good light and POV and his dinner is even in the photo, too ;-)

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• scottevers7 (12253)
• [2005-07-28 17:29]

Hi Japie,
I thought the photo was outstanding to begin with, but after reading you note, I had a good laugh. It sounds exactly like someting I would do. I really like the composition with alot of space underneath. TYhis makes it appear he would have been sitting high up in the tree. The colors are great, and those eyes! Excellent Shot!!
Scott

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• PDP (11733)
• [2005-07-28 18:18]

Hi Japie, I'm sorry about the bruise and I'm sorry that you broke your flash. :-( At least you managed to take this away.

The composition is excellent and it's a grat looking pose. I think it is a little soft in focus. Apart from that it's a splendid job, well done.

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• liquidsunshine (11474)
• [2005-07-28 18:30]

Wonderful capture Japie,
Sorry to hear about the damage to your camera, and well done for getting the shot you wanted. The kite has a great pose.
Great colours, POV and details.
Thanks for posting.

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• jossim (11730)
• [2005-07-28 22:43]

Superbe prise nature japie !


Félicitations !!

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• janhendrik (2226)
• [2005-07-29 1:35]

Fantasties Japie. Ek wens weereens dit was ek wat dit kon regkry. Ek kan niks se wat nie al gese is nie.

Jan-Hendrik

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• halki (467)
• [2005-07-29 2:30]

Hello Japie!
Excellent capture!Details,composition are wonderful.
Thanks for posting...

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• chiliu (6482)
• [2005-07-29 3:33]

Amazing capture!
Great contrast, very good details of the feather and eyes, beautiful blue sky.
TFS!

Chi

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• dew77 (13069)
• [2005-07-29 4:12]

Hello Japie!
Very nice capture.EYE CONTACT is wonderful;).Details,POV and composition are excellent.TFS...:-)

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• red45 (25149)
• [2005-07-29 5:12]

Don't worry Japie! This shot was worth all these troubles :-) Bird looks excellent, I love its look, it says - why me? it's your fault Japie. ;-) Great photo with story!

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• Comandante (1403)
• [2005-07-29 5:33]

Hello Japie!
Wonderful shot.Eyes,feathers,POV,framing and composition are excellent.Into my favr.Thanks for sharing.

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• marhowie (34121)
• [2005-07-29 8:40]

I can't decide which I like better Japie..your story or the photo! ;-)) Same thing happened to me a month ago. In my excitement to set-up, the camera took a dive and the flash hot shoe cracked...It's a wonderful shot from 40 meters, that 500mm has a great reach..Well done!

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• christophe (1783)
• [2005-07-29 8:53]

Hi Japie
Nothing to declare
EXCELLENT
TFS
In a friendly way Christophe

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• ddg (4959)
• [2005-07-29 11:04]

Bonjour Japie, bravo pour ce shot trés reussi, le plumage de l'oiseau est magnifique. BG is perfect , very good sharpness too. Felicitations Didier.

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• slrnovice2 (1197)
• [2005-07-29 15:28]

Hi Japie, what a wonderful image and what a great note. I think it was worth the bruise myself (though its easy to say that when its someone else sporting the bruise). I love the light so your instincts were spot on. I also love the way the wind is blowing his feathers. Can you send him over to my place when you see him next, we think we may have a rat here :(

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• puciu (2599)
• [2005-07-29 16:24]

SUPER !!!!
Rewelacyjna fotka Japie.
Doskona³a kompozycja i ostro¶æ.
Robert.

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• nofer (2223)
• [2005-07-29 21:52]

Muito boa foto. Mesmo SEM flash!!!!!!
Pássaro lindo mas "malvado". He... He...
Excelente composição, muito bom momento.
Parabéns!
TFS
Reynaldo

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• ellis49 (28609)
• [2005-07-31 1:58]

A beautiful shot, Japie.
It's nice to have back, pls don't disappear again, at least not for long.;-)
You picture is lovely. Well composed, nice colours and good POV. A very interesting note.
Great work, my friend.

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• coasties (27488)
• [2005-07-31 21:01]

Hello Japie

A lovely composition. The dark blue BG enhances the white plumage. Nice POV, excellent detail and clarity. The image is a bit soft, noticable around the eyes and beak. Nice work. Thanks.

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• gerhardt (11529)
• [2005-08-01 1:10]

This is a great compo and the pose with the feathers forward looks very nice. Without adding insult to injury I do think there is a slight blueish cast on the capture. These critters are rodent specialists with more than 95% of their diet consisting of it.

I am sorry to here about the flash mount and your "near death: ;) experience. Hope the bruises are better though.

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• bedford67 (438)
• [2005-08-02 5:30]

Hi Japie,
Superb shot; this raptor is impressive. I appreciate the composition with the subject perched on a dead branch. The raptor has very sharp details and is well detached from the pure blue sky. Cheers.
TFS, cordially,
Jean-Patrick

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• optic (0)
• [2005-08-02 7:39]

Hello Japie, you did a great action shot i like the composition the colours & clear details. Amazing catch, thanks for the note & story, as you i broke 3 times my canon flash (hot-shoe) reglued & go :-)

Regards,
Christian

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• sandpiper2 (10820)
• [2005-08-02 8:03]

I can just imagine this story in 20 years time, the fish was 'this' big, if you know what I mean.
Funny thing is, I'm sure we've all had a mishap like this trying to see/shoot a particular species. I remember when I was up on Cape York with a few birders. We went running to see a Golden-shouldered Parrot. My friend Ron was last in line, fidelling with his camera. We watched in horror as a King Brown Snake slithered across the track and Ron just ran over it, still fidelling with the camera. Then he looked up, saw us looked back and got the shock of his life. The snake didn't know what to do, then kept going.
Anyway, I'm rambling.
Nice shot of the kite and his rat by the way.

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• chouette (3000)
• [2005-08-02 9:21]

Wonderful capture Japie! Big red eyes are amazing and look at those talons! Good composition, great pose of the bird, nice colors and details. TFS!

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• Luc (14709)
• [2005-08-02 16:27]

You know, Japie, I am very proud to share photos on the same site than yours. But when I see so beautiful photos, it is the humility which replaces the pride.
Now I know how to obtain the sympathy of my subjects. I have only to show myself more awkward than them and maybe that one day there will be one who will pose for me in a so perfect way.
Your way of writing your notes is always so nice.
Take care of you, Japie. I already broke myself one foot some years ago because of a moment of inattention. I do not wish that it arrives to you, nor to whoever, moreover.
TFS MF... and thank you for your "presence" too!

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• mogens-j (14)
• [2005-08-02 17:14]

Japie, with a shot like this I would almost say it was worth a broken flash-shoe - almost.

Wonderful capture and very clear and clean. I especially like the look in his eyes. He is really watching you. Excellent handling of the light on those white feathers against the clear blue sky - a real hard one to get right.

All over a very pleasant and interesting picture to look at and a interesting note;-).

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• LCannon (3004)
• [2005-08-02 21:39]

The deep blue background is very dramatic looking, suitable to the scene you've described. He seems to have his head tilted trying to figure out just what he just saw happen. Very intense eyes, well captured, I hope the bruise was worth it to you.

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• Motrem (288)
• [2005-08-13 10:43]

What a magnificent bird! Good composition with a perfect light, very pleasant this wind in feathers. Saddened for your flash and fortunately you have no wound. Good note. And we think that the photo is not an extreme sport! LOL

Quel magnifique oiseau! Bonne composition avec une lumière parfaite, très agréable ce vent dans les plumes. Désolée pour votre flash et heureusement vous n'avez aucune blessure. Note intéressante. Et l'on pense que la photo n'est pas un sport extrême...! LOL

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• amirsun (643)
• [2005-08-30 4:56]

Hi Japie
Very nice shot and great composition.
Also very nice Bird ;)
Tanks for sharing
Regards
Amir

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• cloverstar (0)
• [2005-09-28 11:33]

After such an ordeal to get this shot Japie, I must congratulate you. Although it's just a bit soft on the focus, having the rat in the claws is quite a rare shot indeed. Well done, and I hope you have recovered from the bruising. I commend your dedication to providing this wonderful shot after falling.

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• OdetteVN (384)
• [2005-12-06 12:55]

Hierdie is nou regtig 'n baie mooi foto. Alles is perfek.

Groetnis

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• paulsballs (370)
• [2006-05-20 7:45]

Hi Japie, for what its worth you have composed yourself well enough to snap a lovely shot.
Thanks for sharing

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• touristdidi (2359)
• [2007-09-30 21:48]

I laughed but that is not polite at all!!! So sad, I have 6 broken cameras, no one will even fix them. ! He is magnifcent, truly! Is he worth a $100? He does have the rat, and so you decide! Th elump also is too sad, I havce fallen in many a hole watching something thru a camera, not alert to danger. Beautiful photograph, splendid bird!