Wow that close?! Neat. I like the over the shoulder look, great bird. Might just be me but the feather detail just seems a bit softer than I would expect?
Hey Allen, glad you got so close! As Nonda mentions, the hawk looks a bit soft, both from limited DOF (the back) and a bit of camera movement (the head). Did you use a tripod for this image? That certainly would have been helpful with this slower shutter speeds, but your lens is also capable of crisper handheld shots if you practice your technique. Be sure that you were supporting the lens with your hand cupped underneath and holding your breath right before you gently press the shutter. I'm also curious if you experimented with other compositions and angles? Any images of the entire bird or from the front of the bird?
I was handholding...left the tripod in the truck :( I don't do that anymore. This was 2004, I had just started getting serious about photography.
I have about 50 or so shots that I kept from this encounter including several different angles as I approached him shooting as I went. I have full back, full front, and a few of these portrait types. I chose this first as the background seemed so nice.
I have a front shot up here. I will eventually get more of the series processed.
Red-shouldered Hawk
