Red-tail Hawk and Prey

Gallery: AvianPosted June 20, 2011224 views13 comments

Photograph taken last April at Rockefeller Park, NY. I followed this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk around the park for about a week. He was a very willing subject and went about hunting as if I wasn't pointing a camera at him. This day he was on the ground about ten feet off the trail eating his prey. After about forty minutes he grasped the squirrel in his talon and flew across the trail deeper into the woods. This was the last day I saw him. Background is leaves, branches and evening shadows.
This shot is not baited. Nikon D300s 300mm f2.8 with 1.4tc. ISO-640, f5.6, Shutter !/800, Thanks, comments and critique appreciated. Ray

Comments

13 comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on June 21, 2011 at 12:46 AM

Hi, Ray - your persistence in following this juvie paid off!

The head and prey are tack-sharp - the most impt parts. Great eye too. Focus is spot on. A much higher shutter speed might have rendered the whole body of the bird sharp. but the blur of the wings adds a sense of motion and, to me, is not objectionable.

IMO, The BG is a little "busy" and detracts as is.
Don't know the level of your PS skills, but this image certainly deserves a bit more work.
If it were mine, I'd carefull select the bird and prey, invert to select only the BG, darken it, and add a bit of Gaussian bur.

THis would make a good image a VERY good one!
Ceers -

Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on June 21, 2011 at 3:24 AM

Your time was very well rewarded and congratulations on capturing this wonderful image Ray, excellent timing and your techs are evidently spot on :^)

Very fortunate (for you of course!) to have the Squirrel facing your way, showing it's teeth as a bonus, and the Hawk's head is angled just well enough for you to acquire good eye-contact. I love the detail as well.

Registered on March 1, 2011, 154 Posts, 2083 Comments

Comment posted by Ray Whitt on June 21, 2011 at 7:32 AM

Thanks Ashley and thank-you for the suggestions Sandy. Still working on my PS skills but I'm going to follow your advice, I think it will improve the image also. Appreciate it, Ray

Registered on May 27, 2011, 92 Posts, 2619 Comments

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on June 21, 2011 at 9:24 AM

Boy they are amazing creatures. Great photo op for you and a grea tjob getting it. The detail is awesome and i like that the squirrel has a visible (but not happy) face.

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

Comment posted by Charles Gangas on June 21, 2011 at 11:21 AM

Nice that you found such a willing subject Ray, and that you stayed with him. Good focus on the important areas of the shot and I like the implied motion the blurred wings rendered. I too think Sandy's suggestion would improve this image, but it's a solid shot as is.

Registered on August 12, 2009, 544 Posts, 2414 Comments

Comment posted by Darren Colello on June 21, 2011 at 11:33 AM

Very nice action and timing. Well done!!!

Registered on July 27, 2009, 175 Posts, 1100 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on June 21, 2011 at 3:36 PM

Good detail and sharp where it needs to be on the larger image and I also like the wing blur for sense of motion. I like the image as is and would not change a thing, nice job in getting this, way to go.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on June 21, 2011 at 5:35 PM

Ray, a great shot. Everything on the bird and squirrel is tack sharp except for the wing tips and at 1/800s that is a super job. I like the blurred wing tips. The only issue I have with the BG is the dark diagonal area cutting cross corners. However, it is a small issue and one I would not mess with if this were my image.

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

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on June 21, 2011 at 9:12 PM

Dynamic image Ray, love the view of the rodent and bird. Sharp details, well composed.
Great directional light, like that bit of red visible on the birds lower beak too.
Your week of pursuing this action paid off nicely.
This is what most people forget about our art..The countless hours we put into the pursuit, for that one shot.
Well done!

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on June 21, 2011 at 10:22 PM

Excellent, Ray. Superb detail and action.

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

Comment posted by Peter Conway on June 21, 2011 at 10:45 PM

I would love to have this image in my files. Even more I envy the week with a willing Red-tail. For me pursuing a specific subject over a period of time is as fun as it gets.

Congrats!

Peter

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

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on June 22, 2011 at 7:11 PM

Great image Ray, well worth the effort.

cheers
Rob

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

Comment posted by David Sparks on June 25, 2011 at 2:57 PM

Ray:
Wow! Great action shot. I like the selective illumination of the bird's head and the prey and the fact that both are in such sharp focus.

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