There are more very similar colors in these photos than you can shake the proverbial stick at. Monotone personified, almost.
1/1600, f/6.3, 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
A week ago today I photographed this immature Swainson’s Hawk on my approach to Bear River MBR. It was only a few minutes after dawn so the very warm light gave everything a golden glow that might be a little too much for some viewers but I like the near-monotone effect for a change. Out of focus sunflowers in the background provided some color and texture relief that I also like but I’m less pleased with the blurry flowers in front of the post and the hawk’s feet.
I even think the rusty old nail adds additional character to the weathered post, though some may have a different view.
1/1600, f/6.3, 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
The young hawk didn’t give me a lot of pose variety but this vertical composition allows us to see significantly more detail.
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
After taking many photos with my teleconverter attached I removed it to give me more room in the frame for flight shots in case the bird took off. It didn’t. But this wider view provides a more expansive look at the setting including more of the sunflowers that are so prevalent this year. Some may perceive the image as being tilted to our right because the bird is leaning in that direction but notice that by this time the hawk is standing on one foot. Just like we do when we stand on one foot the bird had to shift its weight to maintain its center of gravity and balance.
Shortly before I photographed this youngster I had my lens trained on an adult Swainson’s Hawk about 75 yards from this bird (the adult was badly side-lit so I won’t be posting any photos). The juvenile was calling much of the time, as you see here, so I suspect it was begging for food from the adult that may have been its parent.
I saw far fewer Swainson’s Hawks this summer than I have in years past so I was more than pleased by this late season encounter with two of them.
Ron
Wonderful shots of a beautiful bird! That sepia glow does seem unwelcome in some of my early morning shots but certainly works very nicely in this one.
All splendid shots. Glad you were there to take them.
Thank you, Lyle.
Good looking youngster! That warm morning light really makes the shot. I think the sunflowers in front of the hawk work best in the 3rd shot because they’re connected to the rest of the flowers and therefore not as much of a distraction to my eye. (Speaking of eyes, I can just hear my mom warning me about that nail! 😉 )
“I can just hear my mom warning me about that nail”
Me too, Marty. When I was a kid on the farm I jumped off the top of a pig pen with tennis shoes on and landed on a nail. The nail went much of the way through my foot. My mom was a nurse so I never heard the end of it.
What a golden start to the day. Which I hope continued to glow.
Thank you, EC.
Ron, the more I look at your photos, the more I like the lighting. The sunflowers add a great touch. Wish I were there too [in spite of the rain]. I agree that the nail adds some personality. Thank you
“the more I look at your photos, the more I like the lighting”
That’s likely because with very few exceptions I’m always shooting in the early morning, Alice. It makes a big difference. Thanks for noticing.
Gorgeous! 🙂 Love the lighting and the blurred flowers such that you can tell what they are! 🙂 Raining, tho not hard, and a bit breezy this morning…
Thanks, Judy. Raining here off and on too.
I think the third pic, where there’s just a touch of space between bird and flower, is beautiful. Love the golden glow. I wish I was there right now!
I wish I was there right not too, Joanne, rain or not.. (it’s been raining this morning).
Started my day early today. Your photos are usually the first thing I look at. Love the warmth and vibe of the third one. Nice Ron.
Nice to know I’m part of your morning routine, Leslie. Thanks.
Lovely photos. The warmth tell you exactly what time of day it is. I think I feel as you do about that sunflower in front of the post in the first two photos… yet it is pleasing in the third one. Not quite sure why I feel that way though. One can almost hear the little fella calling out for food. As I look at these my thought is ‘waiting’, waiting and thinking’, and ‘hey…did you forget about me?’
Kathy, I agree with you about the subjective difference between the foreground flowers in the third photo as compared to the first two. I think it’s because in the third photo they become integrated with the rest of the flowers in the frame so they’re not so… intrusive.