First the warning, this photo has a graphic element that may be disturbing to some.

From the first days of this section, I have noticed three things; we have a bunch of bird photographers on UHH, some truly exemplary work has been posted here and we don’t talk to each other very much. Yes, we complement each other but there is very little discussion on field technique, post processing or any other aspect of our bird photography. I consider post processing to be a regular part of my digital photography workflow. I am very familiar with the “straight out of camera” philosophy and I respect straight documentary work, but I see good photos here that could be better with some basic editing. Digital editing tools are just too accessible and too easy to use to not be a part of our photography. I am not minimizing the learning curve, my path was and is slow with frequent stumbles, but it is a worthwhile journey, and the rewards can make significant improvements. My editing skills are very much a work in progress, but I am offering this example of basic editing in an attempt to encourage. The first shot is SOOC, complete with graphic element. The second shot is with a large crop to recompose and enlarge, and with some basic exposure adjustments. The third shot shows cleanup of foreground and background distractions with some additional exposure adjustment to the eagle’s head. Almost all my editing is done in PS Elements and the removal of unwanted elements was done with the spot healing brush and the clone stamp tool. The fourth shot has some additional adjustment using the dodge and burn tools and the replacement of a more somber sky to satisfy my aesthetics of the moment. I have done a lot of sky and background replacements with my bird photos, and I am aware that it may be a step too far for many, but the other adjustments are very much within the reach of all of us.
Regarding the graphic element warning. I have a lifelong interest in birds of prey, and I have been fortunate to have witnessed and photographed many moments when these birds are doing what they must do to make a living. I have also learned that these moments can make folks uncomfortable. I did not see those drops when I pushed the shutter button but to be honest, they represent a moment in photographic time that I have hoped to achieve since my adolescent dreams of being a nature photographer. Those drops verify correct shutter speed and a steady hand and they also depict a powerfully poignant everyday moment in nature.