A series of three photos taken yesterday, subtitled “Me and My Shadow”.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
Yesterday morning started out with a bang. Soon after I got my lens on this female Red-tailed Hawk perched on the side of a lichen-encrusted cliff her mate flew in for a little sex on the rocks. Sadly they had their backs to me for the entire mating. I didn’t get any shots I like of the male when he flew off but I do like this series of the female when she eventually took off to join him.
Sharp shots are always a challenge when the bird is this close to the background but in this series the hawk is sharp in all three shots. The colors of the lichens on the cliff are similar to those of the bird which might put some viewers off.
The other dominant feature in the series is the shadow of the hawk on the side of the cliff. These photos were taken not long after sunrise (the sun had to get over the mountains to the east) so with the bird this close to the cliff the shadow was an integral part of all three images, like it or not.
I happen to like that shadow, mostly.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
In the next shot in the burst the hawk has completely lifted off from the rocks. She’s so close to the side of the cliff I have to wonder if the tip of her right wing hit the rocks on the downbeat but at these focal lengths distances and depth can be deceiving.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
For me the bird’s shadow went from an asset to a problem in this last shot in the series. If I only considered the bird I think this photo lends itself best to a horizontal composition but that means the shadow has to be cut off at the bottom of the frame. The shadow is so dark and dominant I didn’t like the result when I cropped part of it out because it looked decapitated.
So I went with what I think is a somewhat awkward vertical crop as my best available compromise.
After so much bad weather and poor light lately it was fun to finally get out again yesterday morning. So far at least we aren’t on lockdown but each day access to more areas becomes unavailable because of the current crisis so I have to take it one day at a time.
We’ll get through this but it isn’t easy for any of us.
Ron
Hi Ron,
I am a new follower of your amazing photographs and want to say a big ‘Thank You’. I look forward to receiving the posts each day from my desk in the South of England. We moved here 7 years ago having lived for 40 years on the edge of the Canadian Prairies. My absolute first love, passion really is the Swainson’s hawk. I do hope you will see some this year, and perhaps post some photos. I found the ones in your Archive – many thanks!
Best wishes, Jan
Dittoing Elephants Child’s comment, dorsal wing feathers and shadows are complementary, as are the ventral wing feathers, head and body with the surrounding rock/lichen. Plus the shadows on rock one can guess is a raptor, evocative of prehistoric cave paintings. Very nice.
Thank you, Lyle.
“…I have to wonder if the tip of her right wing hit the rocks on the downbeat…” That was my first thought as I scrolled down to that image. As spectacular as the second shot is, I think my favorite is the first one — you know how I love a wing fling. 🙂 I also like the way the little pop of blue in the corner and the shadow at the bottom frame the bird in the last shot. As much as I detest vertical video, I generally prefer the vertical crops when you pose both. Go figure! 🙂
Thanks, Marty. I feel exactly the way you do about vertical video!
I really liked the way that the birds colours echo the lichen. And the shadows.
You are right that it looked as if she was in danger of clipping a wing on that cliff-face.
Add me to the list of people who would have trouble seeing her – unless and until she moved.
Many, many thanks and stay safe, stay well.
EC, we knew there was a nest nearby so that narrowed down where we had to look.
The second photo is my favorite, I like the position of the bird.
It was nice to get out. If we end up in lock down I will have the most spectacular yard this year!
Thanks, April. Too bad we didn’t cross paths yesterday. At least we got to yammer for a few minutes the day before.
Did Mia tell you I exchanged the lucky trail $10 for toilet paper?
No, she didn’t mention it. That was a good deal for you. You sure got more wiping capacity out of the TP than you would have out of that $10 bill. 🙂
Nature and artistic photography at it’s best. I would never pick this scene up for myself, old eyes and less attention to detail. Being sequestered as we are requires to be it is such a treat to see what you have shared every day. Thank you and hope you stay well and safe.
You stay safe as well, Betty. I had to go to two different grocery stores this morning and careful as I was I felt vulnerable as hell.
Sensatioanl series Ron! Thanks for sharing!
Charlotte
Thank you, Charlotte.
Two of my favorite things in a picture, takeoffs and a shadow😁
Glad you are able to enjoy the outdoors. People around here are not following the rules. Almost all of our lake accesses and parks are closing the gates 😢
Take Care All
Apparently that’s the case in many areas. Stupid people!
Thanks, Diana.
I REALLY LIKE that 3rd shot……the shadow actually functions very well
as a compositional element and lends contrast and ‘weight’ to the
whole–I think it’s a really powerful image ! I so look forward to starting
the day by opening your blog…….
Glad to know you like that one, Kris. I was far from sure about it…
Very interesting and attractive shots Ron. I too like the shadows especially in the second one. I was thinking that a person just out for a walk, not a birder, could easily just go by without ever seeing that hawk if it was standing still against that heavy lichen background.
It is a different world out there right now. The city and the USFS are leaving all our outdoor sites open, but now with no restrooms or any other facilities. You are on your own out there, but the people are coming out in large numbers to enjoy spring in the great outdoors.
You’re right, Everett – the hawk was very hard to see while perched on the cliff. If I looked away for a moment I had a very difficult time locating her again until I memorized some nearby landmarks.
Although she’s taking off in the second photo, the shape of her shadow is probably similar to the last thing many a prey species sees.
Even without the mating shots, the closeness of the cliff and the monochrome pallette make these photos an intimate look into her life.
You’re probably right about her shadow, Pam.
The 2nd shot REALLY takes my breath away with hawk wing position and shadow…… 🙂 Agree that in the 3rd photo the shadow becomes a “problem”. That WAS a challenge to separate the bird from the cliff with their similar colors and proximity!
Thanks, Judy. I played with the composition of that third shot for a while but never came up with one I liked very much.
This series has such a buoyancy to it. It gives me the lighter that air feeling. The facebook photo clipped the top off the wings in the preview photo. That never would have bothered me until I started reading your blog and enjoying your magnificent photography. I was very relieved to see that the full photo included each and every feather!
Kathy, FB drives me absolutely bonkers in that way – they always butcher the preview image. It’s even worse when the preview image has been cropped vertically.