![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/red-tailed-hawk-0898-horizontal-b-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"red-tailed-hawk-0898-horizontal-b-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nA handsome raptor in an attractive natural setting performing an interesting behavior.<\/p>\n
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1\/4000, f\/7.1, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n This juvenile Red-tailed Hawk was one of a pair of siblings I photographed four months ago in a Wasatch Mountain canyon. It allowed me many photos including a few while it was preening. In this shot it’s running some of its undertail coverts through its bill.<\/p>\n Usually when I’m lucky enough to capture this behavior in a wild raptor I can rarely see the eye, much less have direct eye contact, because the head of the bird is either buried in the plumage or the eye is closed for its own protection, or both. I like the lichen-covered rocks, the behavior, the partially fanned tail and the exceptionally crisp and clear look we have of the hooked bill – all while having direct eye contact. In my experience that’s a difficult combination to get.<\/p>\n But I’m not sure this is the most desirable composition for the image.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n So I tried a vertical composition which I think I slightly prefer over the horizontal. This version allowed me to include a little more of the multi-layered background at upper right, including blue sky, which I like because it provides more depth to the image. In this version the hawk is also larger in the frame so we see more detail in the bird while retaining a good sense of natural habitat.<\/p>\n Your mileage may vary regarding composition.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A handsome raptor in an attractive natural setting performing an interesting behavior.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/red-tailed-hawk-0898-vertical-b-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"red-tailed-hawk-0898-vertical-b-ron-dudley\\"")
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