What a fun encounter with this beautiful adult Cooper's Hawk recently. I'm sure I had just missed on a kill, and following clean-up in the water, but it stayed for a good 30 minutes paying absolutely no attention to my presence. It preened, drank, and walked around in the cold running water, at times so close I could not focus any more that all I could do is watch. All this walking distance from my place...bonus!
Canon R6 + 500mm f/4 II, manual exposure, evaluative metering, 1/2500s., f/4, ISO 1600, natural light, handheld while lying prone in the snow, FF, a couple of imperfections removed in the feathers (spot -healing).
Hi Dan, have only seen this species on telegraph poles/wires around Boundary Point Vancouver, but ultra shy, never getting closer than 100m, so kudos is achieving this.
OK, forget about the skill set in getting close , that's a given, but how come the hawk seemed so relaxed? The snow environment has really helped, creating a very non descriptive backdrop adding prominence to the subject, but I do like the hint of saturated greenery on the LHS. Not sure going fractionally higher would help here, but do like the fact she turned towards you.
Your call Dan, but the darkish line about an inch off the bottom trim, to the right of the leg, could go, but have you thought of just adding a midtone Curves adjustment for a bit more 'pop'? Darkening & adding some saturation to the FG, it does help/lead the viewers eye better towards the subject, just my take Dan.
Nice one.
TFS
Steve
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.
Hi Daniel ... what a great opportunity close to your home and a cool story of this specimens behavior .
You created a nice image from this options , I just really like the low POV and the subject popping from the surrounding areas .
Processing looks good to me , nice colors and tones are well rendered . The darker band fading away in the BG is a nice touch and does create some nice depth to the frame .
I like it a lot as presented , but you might try Steve's curve to the FG .....
Wow Dan....I like it as presented.....No nits here....The hawk showing presence is immense....It has happened twice to me with Sparrowhawks for about 30 mins...It's like the bird is in a mode...An absolute brilliant photoshoot and the 30 mins would pass like it was 10.....
That was a very special encounter. I am envious. Once, in La Jolla, I decided to walk to lunch with the group without my 400 f/5.6. I left that in the car. Within two minutes I spotted an adult Coop mantling at Brewer's Blackbird that it had killed. I walked right up to it :(
with love, artie
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Artie, despite not having your camera it must have been pretty neat to watch. I once came across a Copper's, sans camera, tearing into a caught Blue Jay while about 8 others were mobbing it loudly all around at close range - even pulling at the hawk's feathers. I was 20 feet away. Oh well, cool to witness!