In my flight shots the bird is typically large in the frame. I like that intimate look at a bird in flight and the feather detail that such a composition usually provides. But there’s often a tradeoff with that kind of photo – the lack of habitat in the image. The bird fills so much of the frame that there’s not much room left for suggestions of habitat and many times there’s only sky in the background anyway.
So for the sake of variety I also enjoy photos where the bird is smaller in the frame and I can see natural habitat in the setting. This image is an example.
1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
In this older image a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk is hunting along steep, rocky slopes near Frary Peak on Antelope Island. I’ve cropped the photo to include as much of the rocks at the bottom of the frame as possible which made the hawk fairly small in the frame. Instead of sky in the background we see the sage-covered side of a mountain. The inclusion of significant natural habitat is a big plus for me and helps to place the hunting behavior we’re seeing into context.
Yes, I do love photos where the bird is frame-filling but this type of image also has its place in my portfolio.
Ron
Love seeing some of the habitat.
And sigh on the weapon testing. And the fireworks. I do like the pretty fireworks, but loathe the bangs and know how many critters they frighten. A guilty pleasure I could (and do) give up.
EC, it’s my understanding that those booster rockets are to be used on missions to Mars, not weapons.
We have awful air pollution here in the valley for days after fireworks-laden holidays.
Did you ever hear back from the farmer about the fence?
Nope, I never did, April. If I don’t hear anything soon I’ll assume (kind of…) that I won’t be hearing at all. About a week ago the fence hadn’t even been repaired yet.
Insert the usual string of repetitively redundant superlatives and gratitude for starting my day right! While I saw this right after you posted it this morning, I’ve been doing puppy training, thus the delay until he finally had a nap attack!
I so LOVE redtails. Y’all know that. We’re so lucky to have them in North America. They’re so versatile, flexible and just cool. They live in every conceivable habitat throughout the U.S., and most mature birds learn to hunt everything that they can grab in their talons, preferably by the head, and hold down long enough to eat. They’re not fussy about what it is. They’re just so darn cool and spectacularly beautiful. Thank you SO much.
Oh yeah, and don’t even get me started about fireworks! I’ve really come to HATE them, especially the ones fired in the neighborhood! Mariah gets to come in the house tonight and she will be in her safe giant hood along with Jack (HAHA) and Skye (AMKE). The dogs are a whole ‘nother issue.
I like the hint of background/context especially because is shows how harmonious the colors of the bird and its habitat can be. I couldn’t possibly agree more about fireworks!!! Their effect on wildlife is often disasterous, terrifying at best… I can never undertand our obsession and glorification of war, which is what fireworks were designed to remind us of…pretty darned sick!!! They terrify our dogs, many dogs run away, and god knows how it effects birds, especially young ones. Every year, someone gets maimed and fires started…what a way to “celebrate”!!! Independence, Peace, are gentle, calm and quiet. Why don’t we celebrate that???
Patty, speaking of “fireworks” a few days ago ATK test-fired the world’s largest rocket booster at their Promontory Test Facility. It’s only a short distance away from where I’ve been photographing all the Burrowing and Short-eared Owls lately. That test burned 5 1/2 tons of rocket fuel every second for two minutes. Witnesses 20+ miles away said the ground shook for the entire test and the roar was tremendous.
I can only imagine its effect on all the owls and other wildlife. I think if I was a Burrowing Owl I’d hunker down in my burrow and NEVER come out!
Here’s a link to a video of the test if anyone’s interested. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URT86tpHPC4
I guess you could get your briquettes going with that one!!!
I like this shot both for the background and for the fact that even though the bird is smaller, it is still possible to see a lot of detail on the wing feather patterns. I am a fan of context, but I also know how many times I’ve looked up to watch a hawk fly and seen only sky. Sometimes the sky is the only context available.
“Sometimes the sky is the only context available”
Susan, in my experience that’s the case much more often than not, especially with raptors.
Beautiful! Love the detail and getting some foreground interest to show the environment as well as the blurred background to make the hawk stand out.
Agreed, Judy – if that background were more in focus the hawk would be kind of lost in it.
Great shot Ron.
I agree, space around your subject is part and parcel of ones choice.
I like it because it shows the environment of the subject or the subjects behavior.
One can always crop for a closer look.
Have a great holiday weekend!!
Thanks, Dick.
I’m afraid I’m not a fan of fireworks (huge understatement!) or the crowds in the hinterlands over the July 4th holiday so to be perfectly honest I can hardly wait until Tuesday…
I guess my best saying about fireworks now that i’m an “old man” is comme ci come ça.
“comme ci come ça”
I had to look that one up, Dick. About the only French I knew was “Ferme la bouche” which I learned as a kid. My mother absolutely DESPISED the use of the phrase “shut up” so I’d occasionally use the French version instead and since Mom was Canadian it sometimes made her smile in spite of herself…
I never did learn to do that!!!
🙂
It is so rewarding to see this photo of a red-tailed hawk which I can see only fleetingly as I drive across Missouri. Most frequently they are perched in trees of the side of the road. Thank you.
Elizabeth
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Elizabeth. Thanks.
When you have the advantage of extra space around your main subject, you have a choice,
but I don’t think it’s an “either, or.” With the extra space, you have the ability to produce
two different images.. one to show the rocky slopes, as you did in this one, and the second
with sky in the image. By the way, your “older 7D, your earlier generation 500mm, and
TC worked just fine. Do you see a significant improvement in the quality of your images
with the upgrade to your current gear? Also, as I’ve said before, when it comes to getting
great shots of birds in flight, you are many steps beyond amazing… Have a great day… ;-)))
“With the extra space, you have the ability to produce two different images”
I tried that, Roger, but I actually didn’t much like the version where I cropped tighter on the bird because just the tip of the rock under the bird is included and I found it to be more distracting than a positive addition to the image.
The image quality of both lenses is excellent but I find version 2 to be significantly faster focusing when combined with the Mark II. And that lens is soooo much lighter in weight!
Beautiful shot Ron!
Charlotte
Thanks, Charlotte.