Photographs, even bird photographs, are often much more meaningful to the photographer who took them than they are to the casual observer. Here’s an example, and the reason why.
1/250, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
I photographed this intermediate morph Swainson’s Hawk six days ago in the very early morning. “He’ was close and quite patient with me, probably in part because it was before sunrise so the light was very low, as evidenced by my shutter speed. You don’t see Ron Dudley photographing birds with a shutter speed of only 1/250 very often.
When I first started photographing him there was no hint of direct light anywhere in my photos but by the time I took this shot there was a blush of rosy red on the mountains in the background as the sun began to peek over the horizon far to the east. To the casual observer this is just another hawk on a post but to me it’s more than that, in part because I know the backstory so I have the memories to go along with the image.
It was taken at 6:19 AM and I had to drive for an hour and a half in the dark to get to this remote area before sunrise. That meant getting up before 3 AM so I had time to finish and publish that day’s blog post and get my act together generally before leaving home before 5 AM. I’m an early bird by nature but that’s early, even for me.
One of my many rewards was experiencing sunrise and the resulting rosy glow on the mountains in the background of this photo, mountains that I was close to all morning but most folks see only from a distance. If they ever see them at all.
I have those memories and others attached to the image so for me it’s more than just another photo of a hawk on a post.
Ron
Even without the backstory, that is one lovely “just a hawk on a post” shot! (I had trouble typing the word, “Just!”)
Thanks, Marty. I know what you mean about “just” in this context.
The bokeh on this image is just divine. Of course, I’m partial to lavender and purple. Kudos to you on getting up so early and “catching the worm” so to speak.
Linda, my lens is known for producing pleasing bokeh. Thank you for noticing and mentioning it.
Dawn is probably my favourite time of day – even without a swainsons hawk. Your memory banks are very, very rich indeed.
Thank you for sharing some of the wonder and the joy with us.
Without doubt, it’s my favorite time of day too, EC. With the next two hours or so a close second.
Yes. Dawn is a couple of hours away here, but I am looking forward to it (and as you say the following couple of hours).
Absolutely glorious photo! Thank you so much for sharing and for getting up so early. Swainson’s hawks are my favourite raptor. I miss them dreadfully now I am living in the south of England having spent 20+ years studying them whilst living on the edge of the Canadian prairies. A really beautiful bird!
I don’t blame you, Janet. In your situation I’d miss them too. I’ve spent a great deal of time on the Montana and Alberta prairies and I loved seeing many Swainson’s in those areas during the summer and early fall.
The colors are grand! I love being up and out for Venus Belt colors in my photos. Last year the smoke made them dull. I hope this year we will have less fires but not likely.
Thanks, April. Sadly, I have the same prediction as you about our fire season.
Ron: A friend of mine once stated that you could get up at 3:00 AM, drive three hours, crawl through the swamp, get 100 black fly bites, and if the bird photo was no good then all the other stuff did not matter. But your shot is really good! The gray bird against the gray sky with a hint of pink is beautiful. Thank you!
Yup, it’s all a matter of perspective, Richard.
One is often tempted to describe what features in one of your images that are particularly appealing. Can’t do that here as it would only serve to obscure the beauty of the whole. A long drive plus 1/250th of a second paid off.
“A long drive plus 1/250th of a second paid off”
There’s often a verbal gem in your comments, Lyle. For me this is one of them.
I like Judy’s “Context – few things happen in isolation.” So true Ron, it is just a bird on a stick to the casual observer, but the photographer knows the story behind the shot and to him or her sometimes the story is far more meaningful than the photo.
It is a nice photo though. I have only see one once here and it was a bird on a pole. I took a couple photos and then it flew off. I lost it and had no idea where it was. Luckily as I was leaving I discovered that it was foraging all over on the ground and got some really neat photos.
Everett, it’s fun to watch them forage on the ground. I once watched several of them chasing after grasshoppers on the ground. Like eagles and many raptors they’re really funny looking when they’re trying to run.
Wow! Ron, I have to ask – did you change anything on the settings of your blog? Today, for the first time in, what, a few weeks? a couple months now ? I was finally able to pull up your blog on my phone again without getting that Request Header Too Large, message that started appearing a ways back. I was always able to get you blog on my big computer but for a month or so I couldn’t get it on my phone. But I could get every other bird blog (WC, Mia’s, Kaya’s etc) on my phone with no problem. Well, sorry to bother you. I’m sure you have better things to do. It’s really not important to know what changed I guess. Just curiosity on my part and interesting.
Nope, I haven’t changed a thing. Maybe it was something WordPress fiddled around with that was problematic for some viewers and now they’ve fixed it. But that’s only a guess.
It is the experience that matters, and it helps the experience to have a patient subject!
I understand completely! My only problem is my age.
Love your shots!!
Thanks, Dick. I can only wish that my only problem is my age… 🙂
Gorgeous detail on this Swainson’s. I unfortunately had to leave the mountains behind but yes, there is something very special about that special light of sunrise and the fog too around mountains. I’m glad you got those special moments and came home with the memories and a well used memory card.
Granny Pat, for a lot of reasons I’d have a tough time without mountains around, including never knowing my directions unless it was morning or evening. I’m clueless in that way.
I like your words as much as the photo.
Take Care,
Kaye
That means a lot, Kaye. Thank you.
Someday you’ll have to switch gears and bless us all with a photo of the rosy red glow on the mountains.
Terri, I’ll try to keep your suggestion in mind for next time.
“Context” – few things happen in isolation…. 🙂 A photo does capture a moment in time even if not always the “big picture”. Nice shot of the Swainson’s! This morning, tho I’m cussing frost, there is beautiful fog upstream following the creek.
Judy, I just checked my thermometer. In the last hour or so it’s dropped to 34° – dangerously close to tomato-killing range.
Got down to 30 by the house tho know it’s colder in the garden – may be kissing early peonies and oriental poppies goodbye……. ;( Down to 24 in GF..
Beautiful and I appreciate your efforts to deliver such a photo.
My efforts were worth it. This time anyway…
I totally understand your sentiment and appreciate the beauty of the photo and it’s one of a kind moment.
Thank you, Cindy.
Beautiful! To the early birds of the world. Sometimes it pays off.
It’s nice when it does, isn’t it Brett.
Other times, by the time I make it to this area, it’s cloudy. Or windy. Or there aren’t any birds to be found. You just never know so you just have to roll the dice and take your chances. And possibly drive all the way home with your tail between your legs and a mostly empty memory card.