Yesterday morning in the Wasatch Mountains I photographed a grand total of three birds, all of them Red-tailed Hawks. One was in poor light in deep shade and I made an embarrassing rookie mistake with another but I had some success with this juvenile.
I got 25 shots of the hawk as it took off and flew toward me but I butchered a fair number of them so these are what I judge to be the best ten of the bunch. I’m including several with clipped wings but they aren’t clipped severely. All ten photos are presented in the order they were taken.
1/5000, 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
It was perched on a hill above me. Here its wings are raised because it’s turning on the perch just prior to takeoff.
1/3200, 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
Yup, I clipped a few pixels off of that left wing. Damn, they come up high and I thought I allowed for them too.
1/3200, 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
I was surprised when it took off coming toward me and…
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
continued in that direction without…
1/5000, 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
veering off very far in any direction.
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
Some of these poses are similar but with birds you don’t get to pick their flight postures. Or the precise moment your shutter fires in a burst.
1/3200, 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
I often clipped a wing or two when they were raised so I was happy to avoid it in this shot.
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
I don’t think the hawk was watching me. Instead it seemed to be focused on something over my right shoulder but it didn’t fly in the direction it was looking so it must not have been potential prey. The bird looked in that direction for the entire series and that was a stroke of luck for me because it provided good light on its eye and the side of the face we see.
If it had been looking straight ahead the side of the face we could see best (the left side) would have been shaded.
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
By now It was getting so close I had very little wiggle room left to right. This shot is full frame (uncropped) horizontally so I was lucky to only clip the tips of three feathers on the left wing. This flight posture and angle on the bird always reminds me of an incoming B-52 with its flaps down.
Because of the completely horizontal wing position I chose a pano crop for this image but I do wish I had more room up top.
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
This is the last unclipped shot I got before the bird passed overhead only slightly to my left. Even now I don’t know for sure what it was watching so intently but it may have been another hawk that had been nearby just before this bird landed on its perch.
I’m unusually fond of this bird because it saved both my morning and my bacon after a particularly stupid mistake in my part a few minutes earlier.
I’m in the habit of checking my camera settings and lens switches before I leave the house in the morning to make sure they’re set on my “default settings” for birds in flight in the light and conditions I anticipate at dawn. And I double-check and fine tune them when I get to my shooting site so I always know what my starting point is and don’t have to take time to think about it or change settings (theoretically at least) when I get my first bird in the viewfinder. With birds, especially in flight, every split-second counts.
But yesterday I forgot to check my lens limiter switch and that made me miss an entire takeoff series of my first bird of the morning, a Red-tailed Hawk taking off from a post at eye level in good light. That switch was set to focus only on objects from 3.7 to 10 meters away and the hawk was definitely further than that from me so my lens wouldn’t focus on the perched bird. And it took off before I figured out what the hell was going on.
I cussed a blue streak and my butt is still sore from the kicking I gave it. I guess I’ll never reach the age or the level of experience (or whatever combination it takes) to stop making rookie mistakes.
On the other hand, a few failures sure make it feel good on those occasions when I don’t screw up.
Ron
Mesmerizing photos of a majestic specimen! I really enjoy your photography and educated dialogue. Thank you for sharing and enjoy your day.
Ron, I love your pictures. I have been an amateur photographer for 40+ years, but try to learn every day. Looking at your camera settings it looks like you shoot in Aperture Priority, which is also my preferred setting. Is that correct and if so, why do you choose that over shutter priority for these types of shots, particularly since the Red Hawk Series today is shot at F7.1? I get the want to limit the depth of field, but given the situation I’m pleasantly surprised that you could keep the hawk in focus, even with our awesome Canon equipment (I shoot with a 6d). With my skill level and equipment I may have been more conservative and used a slower F-Stop. Probably not an easy answer, but any thoughts would be appreciated.
David, Yes, I shoot in aperture priority, always. It’s my theory, based on my own experience, that either method works well in most situations when the photographer knows the one he or she is using well enough to use them instinctively, and very quickly. So I believe it doesn’t matter as much WHICH one you use as it does that you know how to use your choice very well and that takes lots of practice with it. So I’ve chosen to stick with aperture priority. Birds seldom give us much time to think or to fiddle around with settings before we push the shutter button.
Wow!!!
🙂
Spectacular series! You had me at the wing fling shot, pixels be damned! I can visualize him coming at me — even on my old, tiny iPhone.
Thank you, Marty. Agree about that first shot but sure wish I’d allowed for a little more room up there.
Beautiful Hawk. “intent look” were the first words that came to my mind as well. The Hawk never took his/her eyes off the subject. I love the color it its eyes. Thanks Ron!
Yup, that bird was sure focused on something…
Your beautiful photos make me think this should be the national bird. The first photo especially looks so awe-inspiring.
An interesting thought, Lyle.
Capital WOW. And repeat.
Loudly. What an incredible sight to see. And capture.
Thanks, EC.
These shots are breathtaking, Ron! They show the power of this bird. Amazing series. Just wonderful.
Thanks very much, Melania.
To see this series of beautiful shots first thing in the morning, what a way to start my day 😁
Thank you ❗️
Have a great day
Good. I’m glad you enjoyed them, Diana.
I wonder if there’s such a thing as an irregular burst pattern? That might catch more wing stroke variety, as apparently birds have an excellent sense of rhythm!
Ha, the only “irregular burst pattern” I’m aware of is taking your finger off the shutter button occasionally. I’ve actually thought about doing that on those occasions when wing speed seems to be synched with shutter speed. That’s a very difficult judgment to make accurately though…
With regard to your rookie mistake, I will point out that we can’t be “on” all the time. If we are human, mistakes like that are bound to happen. I find that with some of the things I do regularly, and sometimes it seems like I will never learn. I like that you were able to get this series. RTHAs may be common, but I always enjoy seeing them. For some reason the legs hanging down just after it took off made me think about the effort that would be involved in pulling them up into flight position. If I were the bird, that would never happen…
Susan, Yes there’s effort involved in pulling them up but doing so also saves effort by reducing air resistance as they gain speed.
Welcome to the club of Rookie Mistakers! VBG!
Of course you would say that – but I hate to tell you that I would be delighted with just a few of your Rookie Mistakes.
I love all the shots, especially 2 and the last one, all the shots are exemplary.
I’ve been a charter member of that club for many years now, Dick! Thank you.
Stunning. What a gorgeous bird.
Thanks, Arwen.
Simply sensational series Ron!
Charlotte
Thank you, Charlotte.
Wonderful series, Ron! 🙂 It is interesting that it wasn’t looking at you tho certainly to your advantage in this case! 😉 Looks like one left wing primary has a bit of damage…? “Perfection” as in having everything set right is never going to happen BUT those mistakes probably happen less often as time goes by – does piss one off when it happens tho… 😉 Bit of snow and 21 this morning – enough to slick up the roads probably.
Good eye, Judy. I noticed that primary too.
Well, you sure didn’t screw up on this set Ron. Gorgeous photos. My favorites are the first and last. Donna above mentioned the brilliant blue sky. Yesterday afternoon our sky was so brilliantly blue that it sent me down to Lynx Lake to get some outstanding eagle photos. Every perch that the eagles use was surrounded by the most perfect blue sky, the only problem was that there was not an eagle anywhere to be seen. 🙂
Everett Sanborn, Prescott AZ
Ha, you had me hook, line and sinker until I read your last line, Everett!
These are great shots of the RedTail! It is hard to choose a favorite because each has their own uniqueness. I am always amazed at how each capture stands alone…you really can envision the whole flight if you are a bird lover. He certainly was enthralled with something off in the distance…that gaze never wavered once. Can only surmize what would hold his attention like that…friend or foe or perhaps prey. As much as I try to set my camera (and I only guess believe me) before I drive off, I still will forget and that is when I end up missing probably the best shot of the week.
“you really can envision the whole flight if you are a bird lover”
Thanks for mentioning that, Kathy. That’s EXACTLY why I like to post series of flight shots. Hopefully they give viewers even more appreciation for birds.
Beautiful! Sorry you missed the take-off-in-good-light series, but this series is wonderful. I am never able to keep focus when they fly directly at me.
“I am never able to keep focus when they fly directly at me.”
That can definitely be tricky, Sharon – especially since we usually can’t anticipate what direction they’ll take off because keeping your active focus points locked onto the bird in flight is the hardest part and takes lots of practice (when I was a beginner I practiced for many hours on gulls in flight). You also need gear (both camera and lens) that are capable of tracking fast-moving subjects traveling in hard to predict paths.
If only I could “screw up” as beautifully, clearly, and with such razor sharp focus as you do. It is my dream to get to have you make a tutorial video of what you do to get the clarity you achieve. I always use the RON-O-METER to indicate how good my pictures are, and yous, sir, are a tough scale to weigh in on. But, what is life without aspiration?
Loved your “Ron-O-METER”, Suzanne but I hate to burst your bubble. I definitely had a few soft shots in this series I left out.
The tutorial video you mention really isn’t necessary to understand a major key to getting sharp, quality shots – a very high quality lens. Of course you need the skills to go with it but without quality glass you’re largely going to be frustrated if you have high ambitions with bird photography.
Spectacular series of a beautiful raptor, LOVED it but I’m so envious of the gorgeous sky… I haven’t seen a brilliant blue sky since September! Thanks for sharing…
We’re supposed to have skies like that for the next week or so, Donna. Not to worry though, our skies will go to crap when the inversions hit this winter. 🙂 Thank you.