Red Shoulder Hawk, on the Hunt

matthewo · Mar 18, 2014

I Saw this Red Shoulder Hawk Swoop across the swamp at Magnolia Gardens. It was looking for food and could care less about me. I was able to walk the boardwalk and walking trails enough to follow it around as it went from perch to perch.

after a few spot i gave it a rest and went back to photographing other wildlife in a different spot. All of a sudden I look up and the hawk is basically 20 feet right in front of me. I usher to my friend to come over here, shortly after they hear our shutters clicking about 5 or so photographers notice, and rush over.

Really this hawk could care less, there were probably 5 or 6 of us, some within 15-20 feet of the hawk and it just sat there, then I dove down into a bunch of brush, so I couldn't get a good photo, and went back up to its spot again.

It didn't come away with dinner during the time I was watching it, but it sure did give it a good go.

oh and D800E & 500mm f4, yeah I like the E better than the 800, the detail really shows up with cropping.

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4)

5)

WesternGuy · Mar 19, 2014

Mathew, nice shots - too bad about the clipped wings in #3, but that is what we have to put up with when shooting birds. My only nit would be that all your subjects are in the centre of the image. A better composition is to use the rule of thirds so that subjects appear to be looking, flying, walking into the other third of the image. The only one where this might not be applyas a compositional element is #4, which is a great portrait image - IMHO.

WesternGuy

pjaye · Mar 19, 2014

Really really beautiful. I especially love number 2.

baturn · Mar 19, 2014

Excellent! Especially #2.

matthewo · Mar 19, 2014

Thanks all. Its a fine line between what works in a crop and where the bird almost disappears.

I try to put the bird slightly off center or an eye or head in the 3rds. Sometimes i only have so much canvas to work from. I do agree these images are slightly more centered than usual. I went this route for various reason including background elements and branches, as well as size of subject in the canvas.

JacaRanda · Mar 19, 2014

Great shots as usual. I really like #3 because it is most unusual to see in that element.

John_Olexa · Mar 19, 2014

ALL great shots!! I kinda like #4 the best.

BillM · Mar 19, 2014

Some really nice shots in there but #3 is great !!!! Love the pose, you timed that perfect :thumbup:

PropilotBW · Mar 19, 2014

3 is the money maker!! 1 is also very detailed in the feathers. 2 is also awesome, but a bit busy in the background.

Baddi89 · Mar 21, 2014

Amazing shots! Well done!

TJNY · Mar 21, 2014

That is one cute hawk!! Great job!

DLeeT · Mar 21, 2014

Superb shots! & The rule of thirds was made to be broken.

Lee

NedM · Mar 21, 2014

Wow, these are great! I think the clipping #3 is very substantial!

matthewo · Mar 21, 2014

NedM said:
Wow, these are great! I think the clipping #3 is very substantial!

yeah I really had to much lens at the time. it would have been better with a little less lens, with wings wide open it was cutting it very close, and with a fast moving bird pretty hard to keep it all in frame. also these FF sensor AF points don't go all the way to the edge so you have to be careful in that regard as well