Something a little different from me.
Like most bird photographers I’m not fond of significant obstructions in front of my birds but in this instance I think the tall grasses are a positive contributor to the story of the image.
1/4000, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Three days ago as I was leaving Bear River MBR I watched as this male Rough-legged Hawk unsuccessfully went after prey in the tall grasses near the refuge entrance. When he landed in the grass he almost disappeared from view but it was my goal to get him in my viewfinder when he eventually popped up out of the thick vegetation. With all the grasses in front of him I didn’t expect to be able to lock focus on him until he rose completely above them but somehow I managed to get this single sharp shot while he was still partially buried.
The image works for me largely for two reasons – the individual grass stems are so thin we still get a surprisingly clear view of the entire hawk and the most important parts of the bird, his head, face and eyes, aren’t obstructed at all.
I often complain about photos that are soft when they shouldn’t be but in this case the opposite is true. I fully expected the bird to be soft but he was sharp. Or at least sharp enough.
A welcome departure from my usual modus operandi.
Ron
Great work as usual, Ron. What amaze me everytime is the knowledge you have with the bird behavior. To me, it’s the most important thing to get. But it comes with years in the field and you are a pro in this domain. Have a great one!
Pretty slick to see the hawk maneuvering through all those grasses. Kudos to the photographer for getting everything sharp! 🙂
Thanks, Marty.
Those aren’t “obstructions”, it’s “habitat”! 🙂
Wonderful photograph, Ron. A nice, clear portrait of a bird is great, but a nice, clear millisecond in the life of a hunting raptor is priceless.
“Those aren’t “obstructions”, it’s “habitat”!”
Depends on one’s perspective doesn’t it Wally.
Wonderful setting for this shot! And when you “embiggen” (thank you, Marty) the image, you can really see not just the catch light but how big those beautiful eyes are. What a great hawk and photo! (And I can almost imagine he does have a little vole or mouse in his right talon, since that foot is lost among the grasses … hawks gotta eat!)
Chris, I’m actually not sure that he didn’t catch prey. I just don’t think he did.
They will not be here much longer, catch them while you can!
No kidding.
I would disagree this photo is a departure from your usual M.O. You see a bird, contemplate the difficulties in getting your shot, and, with patience, experience and skill, manage to pull it off. Amazing photo, by the way; eye catch seems a real bonus with the grass all around.
Glad you noticed the catch light, Lyle. I think it’s even more important in this photo than usual.
I like this because it shows how they hunt. 😀
Good.
I hope someday I could get such a sharp image of a raptor flying through grass. Inspiring.
And I hope to do it again one day. Thanks, Kent.
And luck WAS a lady for that shot. Which is rare, but wonderful when she decided to play nicely.
Thanks, EC.
Yes!!
🙂
That is a keeper for sure. Love it for all the reasons you have listed. If I got that same photo in the same circumstances I would put it down to dumb luck, but I know you have the skills to get a sharp photo like this. I like everything about this photo.
P: you replied to Elmer as Everett above before I had even logged in. Maybe you had not yet had your first sip of coffee? 🙂
Everett, I noticed that name flub up of mine and fixed it a couple of minutes ago. In this instance it was probably a matter of too much coffee rather than too little.
Beautiful! 😀 The blades of grass don’t at all detract from the photo but rather add to it in my opinion. The hawk is sharp and his fact is clear of the grass stems. Great context! Glad you were able to pull it off…😀
Me too. Thanks, Judy.
Pretty amazing to get the AF to lock on the subject under the conditions. I’m curious how many frames it managed to get in focus, and what was your AF lock setting?
Elmer, this was the only sharp shot I got. To me it didn’t make any sense because this shot where there were grasses in front of the bird was sharp but when I had a clear view of him a few frames later my photos were soft.