I tend to like texture and colors in the backgrounds of birds in flight images but the bright red rocks of southern Utah might be pushing it a little.
I photographed this Peregrine Falcon last month in Wayne County as it circled around a duck it had been feeding on. It wasn’t quite as close as I’d prefer but I thought the following five sequential images were interesting as the bird passed between me and some red cliffs in the background.
1/2500, f/8, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM, 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
The falcon was a bit of a mess as it had been feeding on a female Cinnamon Teal so its feet and particularly its bill were bloody. Here the bird is approaching the red cliffs. I’ve cropped the image as I have to include them.
1/2500, f/8, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM, 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
I was fully aware that the cliffs were coming up and I was afraid that I would lose focus on the bird when they did so (if I remember correctly) I deliberately stopped continuous autofocus (A1 Servo in Canon) and hoped that since the falcon was passing mostly laterally to me it would remain relatively sharp. It did.
1/2500, f/8, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM, 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
It would have been nice if the falcon had given me some more dramatic wing positions but these guys travel fast and largely use air speed to maintain flight so I didn’t get any exaggerated wing positions.
1/2500, f/8, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM, 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
This is the only shot in the series where the bird is completely surrounded by the rocks in the background.
1/2500, f/8, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM, 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
The falcon emerges from the cliff background…
1/2500, f/8, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM, 1.4 tc, canvas added for composition, not baited, set up or called in
and is once again surrounded by blue sky with the last of the cliffs below.
I include this image for context – these are the background red rocks in the previous images. I took the falcon flight shots from my vehicle on a road out of frame to the left. The birds in the foreground are Sandhill Cranes.
I’m not saying that having these cliffs in the background is necessarily a good thing – they certainly are bright. But I thought they were interesting and a little bit different as I don’t recall having seen flight shots of Peregrines with similar backdrops.
Ron
I had trouble with these pictures, specifically the background made it difficult for my eyes to focus on the bird. I think my problem is because of the amount of detail in the red cliffs. My eyes fare better with the washes of color that you usually have in the back ground. One of the joys of aging, I guess? This is a very beautiful bird. I love the clarity of the feather patterns.
Gorgeous!
Wow, the bold bright colors are incredibly striking. Quite a change from the Wasatch palette!
I asked that bird about the teal , it smiled, and replied, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing!””…Which proves that happiness is a full tank….
I think it DID eat the whole thing, Patty. When I returned there was nothing left – hardly a feather. Glad to see you’re able to connect with us again.
The eye contact in these images is absolutely amazing!!! Love the wing positions…tried to pick a favorite, but couldn’t. (Glad to see some bales and that someone got in some decent hay…crazy weather extremes has played havoc with so many feed crops–a lot of folks have had to sell off some of their most prized critters…cattle,pigs,horses, chickens)…
Nice to see its bulging crop! A well-fed bird is a happy bird… great images!
I meant to point out that bulging crop, Deborah – just forgot. Thanks for doing so.
I am certainly not a qualified photo critic but I find the blue / red combination background a bit distracting. However, in image #5 I think the blue/red combo works well because the transition points for the two colors are about a third from the bottom on the left and two-thirds on the right. (Leonardo, what does he know? :-)) I also noticed that when I scroll image #4 up so only the falcon and the red background are in view, the photo allows my eye to focus on the falcon and the nice complimentary reddish background seems to bring out more detail in the bird. That said, even your worst shots are terrific and would be keepers for me.
I’m not very sure about that color combo either, Dennis. In image #5 the reds aren’t quite so intense, maybe that helps? Thank you.
Wow, wow, and wow again. Amazing bird and incredible scenery. I am also pleased to see evidence of other messy eaters – though I don’t get food on my feet.
I laughed when I read your comment, Elephant’s Child. Enjoyed the last part so much that I read it to Mia while we were out shooting this morning. Thanks.
Terrific images Ron ! I really like the transitional background in the 3rd image, relative to the falcon.
Thank you, John.
Excellent flight shots Ron, such a great bird of prey! I wonder if those of us who appreciate and love birds of prey hope we will come back as one someday?! And I enjoyed your view for context, very nice perspective. So, this field is a hay field? That looks like a ton of hay!
Thank you, Dick. Yes, that farmer put up a lot of hay. I had a hard time keeping those round bales out of the shots when I was shooting the cranes.
Absolutely sensational flight shots Ron! Thanks for sharing.
Charlotte
Thanks, Charlotte