Perched Coyotes
A perch (when it’s not a fish) is defined as “a roost for a bird” or “a prominent resting place”. Most of the perched critters I photograph have feathers, but not all of them. Many mammals like to perch up high on rocks, small hills or other natural or man-made structures in order to have a better view of their surroundings. In the case of predators, like coyotes, they often do so while looking for prey. Some small mammals (prairie dogs and ground squirrels, for example) often elevate their position in order to watch for predators. 1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Getting a clear, relatively unobstructed shot of a coyote can be very difficult because of the types of habitat they tend to prefer. But sometimes I don’t think it’s necessary to get them in the clear. This coyote was hunting voles just as the sun was coming up. It deliberately placed itself in the shade of the sunflowers to be less easily seen as it watched and listened for rodents. Even though only about half of the coyote is visible, I still like the shot because it shows behavior and I think the sunflowers add a nice touch. There’s just enough light in the right eye to make this work for me. 1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc But when the coyote alone is the primary subject of the image, a relatively clear view of the entire animal is often preferred. That’s when the photographer can take advantage of the…