Many raptors are “sit and wait” hunters, which means they often hunt from an elevated perch instead of “on the wing” and Red-tailed Hawks are well-known for this practice. An elevated perch provides good views over a large area and no extra energy need be expended in flight while looking for food. Typically these birds will use the same productive perch repeatedly over long periods of time, which presents a challenge to the photographer – poop (hereafter referred to as “whitewash”).
Whitewash consists largely of crystalline uric acid (it’s more complicated than that but I’ll try not to stray into a discussion of the functions of the cloaca), which tends to be bright white. That whitewash can create some aesthetic and ethical conflicts between a “natural shot” and an image that has been “Photoshopped” to death, primarily by use of the clone tool.
Many photographers routinely clone out whitewash and/or droppings and I’ll admit that I’ve done it before, but for me it’s an ethical dilemma because I much prefer to leave my images as natural as possible since I consider myself to be a “nature photographer”. In fact, right now I’m struggling with a series of Horned Lark images that I really like, but there’s a large, fresh and very conspicuous dropping right in front of the birds foot that most would find distracting. I could clone it out but every time I looked at that image I would know what I’d done.
Canon 7D, 1/4000, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, natural light, not baited, set up or called in
A couple of days ago I found this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk hunting from one if its favorite perches, a massive rock on the side of a mountain that overlooks an expansive valley that’s crawling with their favorite prey – voles. Seconds after this shot was taken, the hawk pounced on a vole from this perch. The bird allowed a very close approach (this image is almost full-frame without use of my tc) but as you can see, the perch is covered with whitewash, which for many people detracts significantly from the image.
Personally, I’m becoming more immune to the distractions of whitewash. In fact, when I don’t see it (particularly with a perched raptor) it often doesn’t look natural to my eye and I sometimes become suspicious about how much cloning may have been done to the photo. I’m to the point, in my own images and those of others, that I prefer a shot that has whitewash over one where significant cloning has been done.
Ahhh, preferences… How do you account for them?
Ron
Note: Talk about coincidence! Just now, as I was composing this post, I got an email comment on a Prairie Falcon image I posted yesterday to a bird photography critique forum. The falcon is on a perch that has some whitewash and one person had commented about the “poop”. The comment I just now received said “it wouldn’t look natural without the poop”. The whitewash in that image could have been cloned out very easily. Maybe my views on this subject are more mainstream than I thought…
The link to that critique forum post, and those comments, is here if you’re interested.
Another very interesting and informative entry. It seems to me that the whitewash is a very natural and normal part of the environment and I have never thought of it as distracting. Your beautiful photo of this bird is in no way hurt by the whitewash on the rocks. In fact, to me, it makes it more real. Thanks again for your blog!
Hi Ron,
I’m new to your site and wonderful photos! Just waiting for my paint to dry, and enjoying your blog.
As for “whitewash”, I’m with your other commenters. I didn’t even think of it , while looking at the photo. but if it was missing, I wouldn’t know that this is a favourite hunting perch for this bird.
Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, but you’re the artist and get to choose. Au naturale is my preferance… and let the poop stay where it lay.
My paint is dry… gotta run
Thanks, Angie. But your comment gave me the guilts – I’ve been putting off painting for much too long…
I shouldn’t be surprised you’re a painter as well 🙂
I’ve been distracted with too many things and haven’t made the time,
but today I’m starting a painting, of a little white weasel that has inspired me 🙂
Yeah, but the only painting I ever attempt is my walls, which need it badly! Good luck with the weasel. I love’em.
Let me think about it a bit —- you could spend time inside editing out natural parts of your nature photography or be outside creating more spectacular nature photographs —- hmmm, this is tough.
I’m just a rookie but I sure do like what I’ve seen from you as it’s the best quality nature photography I’ve encountered so far. From a purely selfish standpoint, keep doing it the way YOU like it.
Thand you very much, Wally – a very nice thing to say…
Great topic Ron. Since I’ve also been in the fine arts realm myself, I can understand fine artists and their reason for not wanting to include the “poop”. But for documentary and photojournalistic purposes, I agree including the poop is the way to go. For the purposes of blogging and informing readers about real life events, I will not clone anything out. But often, I will add “vignetting”, silhouettes, and increase colour intensity, just for my own satisfaction. Great topic!
Thank you for your interesting feedback on this topic, Maria.
Hi Ron
Healthy birds leave healthy whitewash. Never has detracted me from the animal. And with your shots and dialogue I don’t even see it. Of course I clean up enclosures and feed raptors . Thanks again for your expertise.
I appreciate (and agree with) your perspective, Diana. Thanks.
I’m with you on this, Ron. The only thing that I would ever crop out of a nature photograph, might be something man-made, beer cans, bits of trash, etc. In fact, I can’t remember ever cloning out anything else except for one time. That was when I had a magnificent photo of a beautiful Texas longhorn laying in a pasture. Right in front of it, between him and my camera, was a large ‘cow pie’. I did remove that when I produced some 20×30 prints for sale.
Cow poop is a pain, Bob. Just one of many reasons I have serious issues the “multiple use” policies of public land administration (BLM and National Forests) in the west.
Beautiful, Ron! Where there’s life, there’s POOP!
You are not admiring a taxidermied mount; this is a live, breathing, white-washing being. Time, history, is splashed across those rocks. The bird is at home in that spot. One could even argue that the mottled bown/white rock is reflected in the plumage. I quite agree with your pro-poop choice!
When I look at my page of new emails each morning, I go for yours first, knowing that there will be a special treat to start the day. Thank you so very much for doing what you do and sharing with us all!
I love how you expressed your point of view, Mikal – only partly because it agrees with my own. And thank you for the very nice words about my blog.