With ‘the hand of man’ and without.
1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
This is our old friend, the unusually dark juvenile Red-tailed Hawk, taking off from yet another rocky outcrop 13 days ago. You’ll remember that ‘he’d’ been practicing his landings at the end of repeated short flights so I had many opportunities to photograph his takeoffs and landings. But this takeoff wasn’t for a practice landing – this time he took a long flight, though I don’t know where he went.
I’ve posted several photos similar to this one recently so maybe readers have had their fill of photos of red-tails taking off from rocks. But the way I look at it, this shot and the next one deserve to be seen.
1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Several frames later I got another shot of him I like, even though the background is nothing more than homogenous blue sky. After this photo he was past me.
49 minutes later that same morning I got a series of takeoff and flight shots of a juvenile red-tail that I believe to be the sibling of this unusually dark one. And this time the takeoff scenario was very different.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
The presumed sibling was perched on a very large wooden beam and as soon as I pulled up on ‘her’ I could tell she was about to take off. As a result, I had to rush this shot so she isn’t sharp. But I wanted to include it because it shows her looking down the length of the beam that she was about to use almost like a runway.
She took off a split-second after I took this shot.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
And yes, she’s headed almost straight down the ‘runway’.
This photo and the next one appeal to me (unexpectedly) because the massive wooden beam running almost from frame edge to frame edge is so very different from the photos I usually post of hawks taking off from natural perches. “Different” doesn’t necessarily mean “good” but in this case, for my tastes, it does. Especially because…
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
she continued to fly down the length of the long beam as she gathered speed, as if she really was using it as a runway. I got many other sharp shots of her in flight but most of them don’t include that massive old beam so I think they’re kind of boring in comparison.
Years ago I wouldn’t have posted these last three shots because I was typically disdainful of the ‘hand of man’ in my photos. For better or for worse, I’ve come a long way, baby.
Ron
Consider that you are using “the hand of Man” to photograph your subjects, I don’t see any reason not to include manufactured objects or other critters, including people, in wildlife photography. Think of Charlie Russell’s great paintings of the West. Hawks like utility poles, shrikes like barbed wire. The Redtail using the old barn beam was an interesting series of images. I like your work because you often show more than birds-on-a-stick.
So beautiful! Thank you for sharing!
And thanks for appreciating, Sandie.
You have come a long way, professor! And the “hand of man” really pulls me in because of the color matching.
“You have come a long way, professor!”
I owe at least part of that to my readers, Arwen. I’ve made some progress, admittedly kicking and screaming along the way.
In my predawn this is a delight to see. All of it. Many thanks.
Thank you, EC.
Hard to beat Lyle’s whole list for describing the action and beauty of all these photos, so I will just add “Bravo!” to you, hawks and him. 😎
Thanks, Chris. It’s often hard to beat Lyle’s… whatever.
Keep them coming Ron. That last one is really good.
Thank you, Michael.
The spring action in those legs is amazing. To me it is interesting how many birds wings look like big paddles moving the air. I saw the dark redtail and have a few far away shots from the same morning.
April, I’ve also noticed that “big paddle” similarity many times, especially in certain positions of the downstroke.
Glad you saw ‘him’. I think he’s a striking bird.
Here we are at the Avian Olympics:
1) The Rock Launch, with points for stretching and dramatic display
2) The Wing Fling, judged for feather and talon display
3) The Balance Beam, with evidence of past contestants not able to contain their nervousness as seen by the, ahem, white streaks on the beam
4). The contestant seeming to perform a simple straight jump
5). But wait, our contestant amazes everyone with a never performed maneuver and wins the competition, wings down.
Lyle, my favorite is #3 on your list.
Perfect comment Lyle.
One of my favorite pictures of birds, takeoffs😊
I’m kinda addicted to them too, obviously…
I join you in hated anything man made in bird photos, but this one is special with her mimicking a 747 roaring down the runway for takeoff. Great shots of her and an excellent series. I have always enjoyed your Red-tailed hawk take off and landing sets.
Just curious – do you feel that take-offs and landings are easier with the R5 or just about the same as your previous camera?
“do you feel that take-offs and landin”gs are easier with the R5 or just about the same as your previous camera?”
Everett, it’s definitely easier to get multiple sharp shots, especially soon after takeoff. The R5 makes it easier to A. get multiple flight shots sharp and B. keep them in frame while they’re in flight.
Wonderful series, Ron. 🙂 Luv her using the old rugged beam as a “runway”. Practicing “precision” take offs and landings perhaps? 😉
” Practicing “precision” take offs and landings perhaps?
Judy, in this case I think I may have made her nervous so she might have been trying to put more space between us.
In the second to last shot, the beam provides a good compositional
element, and by its very coarse, weathered, and inert nature, accentuates
the dynamic, detailed beauty of the springing bird–up, up, and away !
Thank you, Kris – interesting analysis.
I love those shots of the Hawk. Look at the talons! As a person in the same age bracket as you, I especially liked the last sentence, you’ve come a long way, baby.
Angela
“I especially liked the last sentence, you’ve come a long way, baby”
Virginia Slims, right Angela?
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4ksye