Red Tailed Hawk (+repost)

Gallery: AvianPosted October 23, 2009272 views18 comments

Red Tailed Hawk in for the meal. There was a pair or Red Tailed Hawks, each taking its turn at the meal caught earlier (Coot). This is a picture of one flying in to the perch for a bite while the other took a rest.
It seems the few photos I ever truly feel the need to modify seem to be photos of Red Tailed Hawks. For the record, I added about 5% canvas to the top and cloned out a few unsightly branches in the lower right.
Thanks for looking and commenting
Canon 40D, 400mm, f7.1, 1/2500, iso400 .

Comments

18 comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on October 23, 2009 at 3:27 PM

Greg, outstanding capture. I love the dynamics of this and the great light. Great sharpness and a wonderful catchlight and look at the face and talons of the bird. With the angle of the bird I do not think you need all the space out to the right. I would crop in further if this were mine. Larger version, please!

Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on October 23, 2009 at 3:30 PM

Awesome clarity, detail and lighting. I would tone down the luminosity on the Blue sky though as it looks a little surreal (even if that's what it was) as I think it competes for attention with the main subject.

- Luke

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by Andy Shepherd on October 23, 2009 at 3:36 PM

Yes, this is very good !!

Super pose and lighting Greg, top shot imo.

Andy...

Registered on September 24, 2006, 123 Posts, 1254 Comments

Comment posted by Greg Cope on October 23, 2009 at 4:15 PM

Thanks for the comments so far. Here's a repost with less blues (the sky color in the first post was how it was) and a small crop off the right.

Registered on January 22, 2007, 212 Posts, 2737 Comments

Comment posted by Joel DeYoung on October 23, 2009 at 4:27 PM

Nice Greg, The original post was good, but I like the re-post a bit better due to the improvements suggested by Luke. Great capture of an interesting subject. Look at them talons!

Registered on July 12, 2009, 92 Posts, 1074 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on October 23, 2009 at 5:49 PM

Nice, Greg. Looks better with the toned down blues and the crop. Super shot!

Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments

Comment posted by Keith Bauer on October 23, 2009 at 7:30 PM

Great flight pose. Nice sharp image. I like the repost much better. I too thought the sky looked a bit too electric.

Registered on November 20, 2003, 458 Posts, 4836 Comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on October 23, 2009 at 7:39 PM

Loving the re-post - now I can focus on the bird!! P.S. the only reason I caught that is because I got a similar comment on a merlin photo I posted. Even though the blue was an accurate representation, I played around with the luminosity and got something less electric.

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by Derrick Lipinski on October 23, 2009 at 10:42 PM

Beautiful capture, Greg! Super sharpness! Were you using a 400mm f/5.6L?

Registered on October 5, 2007, 58 Posts, 2039 Comments

Comment posted by mark cillo on October 23, 2009 at 11:07 PM

Wow! Awesome action shot. Great work.

Registered on July 27, 2008, 143 Posts, 1483 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on October 23, 2009 at 11:13 PM

Nod goes to the repost, good mage made better. I don't think I have seen a hawk flight photo with the bird in this exact pose before.

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on October 24, 2009 at 12:38 AM

Great pose and sharpness Greg

cheers
Rob

Registered on November 8, 2003, 617 Posts, 8267 Comments

Comment posted by Carrie O'Brien-Sib on October 24, 2009 at 8:35 AM

Outstanding capture, Greg! Fantastic detail!
COS

Registered on August 4, 2009, 149 Posts, 889 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Walters on October 24, 2009 at 9:59 AM

Great flight shot. I like the action and the details in the wings.

Registered on October 30, 2005, 405 Posts, 3693 Comments

Comment posted by Bob McQuade on October 24, 2009 at 11:27 AM

Love it! Great action shot

Registered on October 8, 2009, 214 Posts, 432 Comments

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on October 24, 2009 at 12:08 PM

Great catch with great focus on the face

Registered on June 30, 2009, 300 Posts, 5051 Comments

Comment posted by Simon Bennett on October 24, 2009 at 6:47 PM

Wonderful action, sharp too.

Registered on February 4, 2007, 350 Posts, 4614 Comments

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on October 25, 2009 at 5:11 PM

Greg,

I prefer the blue sky in the repost, in the first image the blue was competing for my atttention and thus drawing it away from the bird. I've also had similar experiences with the electric blue sky I would some times photograph in FL, although it was an accurate representation of the sky as it was, it was simply too electric.

Love the pose of your hawk, the nice details, sharpness and the look on the bird's face.

Registered on June 25, 2007, 491 Posts, 12566 Comments