I like to photograph raptors (or most any bird, really) in this kind of light when I think I can get away with it. When I first started photographing birds I always made an effort to get the light source directly behind me and now I shudder to think of the interesting light I sometimes missed, especially since what I ended up with was often something rather mundane.
I recently posted a somewhat similar image of a red-tail but the poses and settings in the two photos are quite different from each other.
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc
I found this hawk perched in dappled, directional light a few months ago. It was near the bottom of a canyon in the Stansbury Mountains of Utah so I was looking slightly down on the bird – a perspective I appreciate if the angle isn’t too steep. I like the haughty pose – which was actually a reaction to another red-tail flying toward this bird.
Ron
I love the almost arrogant stance.
I love this shot, Ron. As I said before, I love photographing the raptors, regardless of the light, but again, you nailed this one. BTW, the Red-tailed is the predominant hawk around these parts. But we also have a lot of Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned.
Very regal looking juve caught in wonderful light! Perhaps this alert young bird will be sporting red tail feathers in the coming months.