Tough shooting. Seldom have I taken so many photos in such a short time and got so few I like.
Yesterday morning I found a frisky, frolicking flock of 45-50 Common Ravens in a remote area of Box Elder County. They appeared to be having a blast as they rode the thermals in front of a very large, nearly vertical, lichen-covered cliff. They were often calling out as they playfully dived on each other and the erratic thermals, combined with their playful aerial maneuvers as they zoomed across the front of the cliff face, made them very difficult targets for my long lens.
But the biggest problem for me as a photographer was that they were staying very close to the cliff face, probably because that kept them as far away from me and my pickup as possible. That put the background (the cliff) very close to them, so my active focus point usually grabbed onto the cliff instead of the bird. The Canon R5, at least in the hands of this photographer, had more than met its match.
As a result, I usually got a sharp cliff and a soft bird. I spent about 40 minutes trying to photograph them in flight and got very few photos I like. This is one of them.
1/2500, 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 caught the raven in a steeply banking flight posture as ‘he’ began to turn the corner around the cliff. He’s sharp, his nearly vertical posture put good morning light on most of his ventral surfaces and I got a nice head turn with eye contact. I also like the good look at his legs and feet.
It may not be a ‘pretty’ photo but I think it’s a good one technically. And besides, in my view a photo like this represents the rough and tumble raven quite well.
I just wish he’d been calling when I took the photo. They often were.
Ron
Congratulations on this photo of a powerful banking raven. Capturing feather details of black birds is difficult even when they are motionless. Great Job!
It sure reminds us of all the specialized feathers that have evolved for just the right purposes.
This one’s a winner, Ron! Love his interesting flight position. I’m really impressed with all the feather detail you got on him. Ravens are so smart and often so funny.
There’s a group of 5-10 that love to hang out in our culdesac and adjoining street and they’re a hoot to watch. Their squabbles are almost as fun as watching the coots.
Thanks, Marty. I like that feather detail too. I seldom get that much on a jet-black bird.
An outstanding image of a difficult subject – well done.
Thank you, Gary.
45-50 ravens? Colour me jealous. I have never seen our ravens in a group bigger than four or five (a family group I assume). And I adore this shot.
EC, seeing that many ravens together was a big surprise to me. Thank you.
Excellent photo! I think there might even be a mischievous gleam in that bird’s eye. Perhaps it is the wind or the light, but the breast feathers look wet and matted. Perhaps some beer was spilled before the flying began?
Kathryn, I suspect those feathers on the side of his breast and abdomen are in disarray because of the breeze incoming from that side.
Rough and tumble indeed. That is the Raven. They are quite bright and will eat just about anything. And they can turn on a dime in flight. Surprised that you even tried (and succeeded) in getting an in flight photo.
“Surprised that you even tried (and succeeded) in getting an in flight photo”
I couldn’t resist the temptation to try, Michael. Despite the frustration I had loads of fun and this photo made it all worthwhile. And the practice I got was invaluable.
Hi Ron,
I live in Flagstaff, Arizona where it is very windy. I tend to think the ravens here are playing in the wind on windy days. They seem to be having fun swooping around in the gusts. A very special bird and stunning photograph.
All the best,
Tori
Thanks, Tori. It was breezy yesterday, so I think that contributed to their enthusiasm for aerial acrobatics. And to my difficulty in getting them in in my viewfinder. And in focus.
A rough and tumble life for sure, and a rough and tumble life for the photographer. That is not a very attractive background, but works with the a solid black bird like the Raven. Envious of the large groups you get as you described. A conspiracy of Ravens. Here I just see small groups of 2 to maybe 4 or 5. Love hate relationship with them. Have watched pairs go through our riparian woods in the spring from nest to nest pulling out the newly hatched birds, and then of course the worst was watching 4 of them kill our very young lone eagle chick while mom was fishing and dad was missing.
” Envious of the large groups you get.”
Everett, seeing so many ravens together is highly unusual for me too. I’m sure this was the largest number of ravens I’ve ever seen hanging out together. By far.
I especially like the sharp differentiation in the functional layers
of the wing feathers– it’s a good anatomical illustration, and yet
the pose is super dynamic. I also liked being able to see all
the texture in the feathers on the ventral surface of the torso and
the raven’s face– I think you have a wonderful reward here for
enduring a morning of frustration– surely the best raven photo
I’ve EVER seen !
“I think you have a wonderful reward here for enduring a morning of frustration.”
Given my slim results, you said that well, Kris. I took almost a thousand shots yesterday, most of them of ravens, so without this one I’d have been even more discouraged.
I did photograph some other interesting birds but not a one of them let me get very close. This is a wild area with wild birds that aren’t acclimated to humans or their trappings (like vehicles).
NICE! Really does show the “photon sucking” Raven off VERY well! 🙂 Pulling the detail in all that black not to mention the speed you indicated a challenge any way you look at it. Congrats on the capture tho sure wouldn’t have envied you going though all the photos taken… 😉
Half calm for a couple of days but high wind warning for tomorrow night – need some moisture that we’re not going to get.
Thanks, Judy.
Getting detail in the blacks of the ravens was a consistent problem for me. As often as not, the bird was soft and had no detail in the blacks so the photos I got looked more like shadows of the ravens on the cliff rather than the birds themselves.
I’m visiting my mother and showing her your work. She collects wildlife art, for example by the Hautman brothers. But she’s more impressed by your photos, esp. this one. “More vibrant, more real.” I think she also means more expressive, revelatory (I know that I do).
Cheryl, I think I like your mother! 🙂
I don’t usually comment on your photos because they are all very good but this one goes to a new wow category. Best photo of a Raven I have ever seen for many reasons. Technically sharp and unique position just stunning.
That’s high praise. Thanks very much, Bruce.
Very nice. Corvids are special.
Agreed. Thanks, Cathy.