My first picture of 2016, and it's a great species that I had never photographed before. Driving on a quiet road I saw it hovering low and close to the road, but on the wrong side of the vehicle. I was able to drive by, pull a U-turn, and place my car right next to it and fire off a nice series of images as it struggled against the strong wind while looking for prey below. My personal experience with this species is that it is a tough one to approach, so this was a thrilling encounter for me. The frame I present here has the best wing position as it was mostly gliding / semi hovering with half wing beats.
Canon 7D + 500mm f/4 II + 1.4TC, manual exposure, evaluative metering, 1/1250s., f/5.6, ISO 800, natural light (with natural fill from the snow below), handheld from car, almost FF. I actually DARKENED the eye a tad!
Excellent exposure and nice high key look. The full wing up pose is nice and I like the eye contact. I could see moving the bird up just a tad in the frame.
Very, very elegant image.
Hi Daniel, congrats on having an image of a new and beautiful species. The white BG is a little stark to show off this species, but you had no choice. Loi
Lovely display of the markings, shown well by the high key effect. As a raptor challenged fellow, I appreciate the effort it takes to capture these fellows.
How much trouble do you have with heat distortion off the car in the winter? I have done a small amount of sandhill crane shooting from the truck in late fall/early winter, and the heat distortion makes it hard to get a consistent sharpness in my images.
Randy, yes it can be a challenge. When driving down country roads for the purpose of photography I drive with the heat either on very minimal setting, or completely off if I can tolerate it, and always with the windows open a bit (maybe up to hallway down if the cold is not so bad). When I see a potential subject my first instinct is to fully lower all windows. I usually works well, but if unlucky the wind will work against me and push the engine's heat my way (rather rare though).
Congratulations on getting this guy. Not one I see very often. The high-key presentation gives it a great graphic quality, the wing and head positions are perfect; all combining to make a very handsome image.
Loi, yes, the engine is turned off but the heat of the warmed up motor radiates through the hood...if unlucky that heat gets blown right by the open window by the wind.
What a great first image for 2016.
Love the wing pose and the soft light.
The perfectly splayed wingtips ( without any bits missing) really add a lot to this shot.
Gail
Great to see you getting in on some raptor action up there. I love Rough-legged Hawks and this high key frame looks great. The pose is perfect although I do agree with raising the subject up in the frame a little.
I have been shooting out of the car for years and I can relate to your challenges, especially in really cold weather. I will be driving around tomorrow morning, bundled up with a jacket, with the windows down, in 25 deg weather, without the heat on. Im sure that's like a summer day for you but it's flipping cold for So Cal.
It took me a quite a while years ago to figure out what was happening with my blurry shots. The heat of the car rising even after the motor is off is a big one too besides the comfortable heater pouring out of the window all over your lens.
Sounds like you are figuring it out and getting some nice frames from you learning experiences. I have a presentation that I do at my workshops all about animal behavior and shooting out of the car. I am writing an article on the subject and it would be nice to get your input on the subject.
Nice work
Come join me for a Custom Raptor Workshop starting this November 2019- January 2020.
P.M. me to inquire on dates, pricing and availabilities. Thank You. www.davidsalemphotography.com
Loi, yes, the engine is turned off but the heat of the warmed up motor radiates through the hood...if unlucky that heat gets blown right by the open window by the wind.
Wow, thank you for the tips. it's great to know. Loi
Hi Dan, love the colours of the Hawk against your high key BG. Great show of the extended wing, tack sharp all over, and I quite like the placement as is.
Sounds like you are figuring it out and getting some nice frames from you learning experiences. I have a presentation that I do at my workshops all about animal behavior and shooting out of the car. I am writing an article on the subject and it would be nice to get your input on the subject.
Nice work
Sure thing David. Let me know if you have any specific questions.
Rough-legged Hawk
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Originally Posted by Daniel Cadieux
