Northern Harrier

Gallery: AvianPosted December 3, 2009291 views21 comments

Circus cyaneus

Taken this morning from the backseat of Ron D's pickup, he has an extended cab and we can both shoot from the same side of the truck.

There was a nice wind from the south and this harrier floated by slowly enough to get several shots fired off, I liked this one the most of that series.

D200, lens resting on window of pickup, f5.6, 1/640, ISO 320, EV +0.3, 200-400mm VR F/4 with 1.4x TC, natural light, 60% of original image, not baited.

As always, I sincerely appreciate your comments & critiques, thank you for looking.

Comments

21 comments

Comment posted by Jim Donato on December 3, 2009 at 5:16 PM

A beauty Mia, very nice color scheme between the bg, bird and fg. I like the light you captured here.

Registered on January 27, 2009, 29 Posts, 247 Comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on December 3, 2009 at 5:27 PM

Looks like you have caught the Harrier Bug... Gorgeous photo with he light right on the eye, though I'd rather have a little cleaner of a BG behind the bird

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

Comment posted by Chris Ross on December 3, 2009 at 5:37 PM

Very nice Mia, good to se some habitat and good wing position. Looks like it take a little more USM, just on the harrier.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 403 Posts, 2729 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Saunders on December 3, 2009 at 5:41 PM

Lovely color -scheme indeed Mia. I would probably sharpen up the bird a tad, but I'm getting really jealous of all these Harrier Shots being posted. Ours have left now. Hey, that probably is ours !

Registered on February 6, 2008, 321 Posts, 3035 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on December 3, 2009 at 6:26 PM

Mia, I like the BG and FG in this image. A great sense of the area this bird was hunting in. Great light on the face and eye. That is tough to get with this species, believe me I know, I have have so many images of harriers that would be great if the light was better on their face and eye. I agree with others, that a bit more sharpening on the bird would probably improve the image. Very nice overall.

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

Comment posted by Charlie VanTassel on December 3, 2009 at 6:47 PM

So chivalry is not dead after all!

I like the environment here, Mia. Not your usual caliber of sharpness, but the lighting and environment make up for it. Still, I know this is just the beginning of more to come....

Registered on October 18, 2006, 644 Posts, 4801 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Balke on December 3, 2009 at 8:11 PM

I think it's a very fine capture as posted, Mia. The determination of this bird is very evident in both the eyes and in the pose. The natural background is a bonus.

Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on December 3, 2009 at 8:28 PM

Cool one Mia!!!

Ken Archer

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on December 3, 2009 at 10:52 PM

Beautiful light and eye, Mia. I like the sense of environment. The wing position doesn't suit my personal taste, but that's just me.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Twaddell on December 3, 2009 at 11:12 PM

You are killing me with all of these Harrier shots. I got a job, you know! I can't compete! I took a day off yesteday, spent a whole day off with wonderful light, Harriers swooping all around me, and I have nothing to show for it!

Registered on August 16, 2007, 199 Posts, 2132 Comments

Comment posted by Neil Rossmiller on December 3, 2009 at 11:25 PM

Another beauty Mia,
Makes me want to play hooky and drive to the valley!

Neil

Registered on October 30, 2009, 156 Posts, 749 Comments

Comment posted by KC Choo on December 4, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Absolutely lovely shot of this lady, Mia! I trust you checked that Ron's pickup's rear windows wound all the way down! The reason I say this is because I insist that my friends in Singapore check this before they purchase a new car

Registered on November 15, 2004, 519 Posts, 8278 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on December 4, 2009 at 6:43 AM

Really like the warm earthy tones of this one Mia

cheers
Rob

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

Comment posted by David Sparks on December 4, 2009 at 9:21 AM

A beauty! Love the wing position, catch-light, BG and selective illumination of different parts of the bird. Dramatic shot.

Registered on May 26, 2007, 290 Posts, 4270 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Leggett on December 4, 2009 at 1:11 PM

Mia, I like the color palette in this as well as the comp and wing position. Would agree that a bit of sharpening would be a good thing.

Registered on July 21, 2004, 706 Posts, 3233 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on December 4, 2009 at 2:27 PM

nice image of the harrier with good habitat. I especially like the light on the eye.

Registered on March 21, 2009, 202 Posts, 4187 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on December 4, 2009 at 4:28 PM

Nice light, position, and setting. I agree on the sharpness issue.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments

Comment posted by May Haga on December 4, 2009 at 5:03 PM

Great action, nice capture Mia.
May

Registered on February 22, 2007, 714 Posts, 8470 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on December 4, 2009 at 9:17 PM

You already know that I adore this photo Mia. For me the slight softness is part of the appeal in this light. This shows the habitat I love so very well and I especially like the light on the face, neck and tail and the OOF but spiky background to the right.

Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on December 5, 2009 at 1:09 AM

I really like the light illuminating the secondaries like little windows. I guess 1/640 wasn't quite fast enough to absolutely freeze him as he passed perpendicular to the lens, but esthetically and technically still a great photo!!!

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

Comment posted by Peter Conway on December 13, 2009 at 10:35 PM

Hi Mia, (it will take a bit to get used to that)

I am a little late to comment on this so I hope you see it. I sometimes think many of us tend to obsess on sharpness and as a result miss the beauty. I LOVE this photo! As you know I am also fascinated with Harriers and this photo really captures the essence of her. The BG is perfect with the grasses and the sky. There is great depth to this photo too.

The light is wonderful and gives beauty to her face.

I disagree with the others on the sharpness, this has a mellowness that would be lost if you sharpened it.

All the best, glad i stopped by today to see the Harrier shots from you and Ron. Keep up the great work,

Peter

Registered on June 25, 2007, 347 Posts, 3913 Comments