Red-footed falcon

[Manos Papadomanolakis]

Canon 40D Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM
1/1600 f 4.5 iso 320
hide,April 2009
thanks for looking!

[Ilija Dukovski]

Excellent work Manos,

I love the pose, very cool action, good HA, great plumage detail and sharpness.
The perch is on the large side but looks quite interesting. Three-layered BG is just great.
I only wish a bit looser crop, but great as presented too.

Ilija

[Dave Phillips]

unusual behavior pose Manos.....nice catch.
Super bg with color hues well balanced throughout

[Danny Laredo]

Stunning pose. I like the bg and perch. A touch tight in the frame :)

[Stu Bowie]

Pin sharp detail, and super behaviour captured. I like the light and colours, and what a cool perch.

[Desmond Chan]

Excellent work Manos,

I love the pose, very cool action, good HA, great plumage detail and sharpness.
The perch is on the large side but looks quite interesting. Three-layered BG is just great.
I only wish a bit looser crop, but great as presented too.

Ilija

I ditto that, yep, including the wishing for a looser crop part. :)

Have to say that's a pose I've never seen before !

[Doug Brown]

Great preening pose with preserved eye contact. I love the fanned-out tail feathers. I'd like to see it framed more loosely, and you've got a nice BG to work with.

[Ramon M. Casares]

Not nice but OUTSTANDING! Beautufull pose andnatural moment, lovely species and great DOF, perch, light, BG and detail are to me perfect, I only wish for more room all arroud, but that's a minor detail as everything else is so stunning.
Congratulatyions!

[David Fletcher]

Hi Manos. Another vote for a looser crop, but otherwise, great preening pose. Crisp as heck and killer bg. Way to go!

[Arthur Morris]

Great bird, sweet BKGR, way too tight as above. UGLY perch that is too big.... HA is just short of perfect.

There was one of these in MASS a few years ago that caused mass hysteria among the birders.

[Arthur Morris]

Not nice but OUTSTANDING! Beautufull pose andnatural moment, lovely species and great DOF, perch, light, BG and detail are to me perfect, I only wish for more room all arroud, but that's a minor detail as everything else is so stunning. Congratulatyions!

Ramon, my friend, Please explain exactly what is great about the perch.

It is too big for the bird and part of it is sticking right at us. And aside from that, it is just plain ugly. And aside from that the ends of it are broken off. And the section at the back is also way ugly. So please do explain what is great about it. Thanks.

[Nagesh Mula]

As far as the action of the bird is concerned it is no doubt Outstanding capture for me. The BKGR is sweet. Can't comment on the perch.
I would leave more space to the left and at top and get rid of a bit of perch from bottom. Congratulations!!

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I really like the preening pose, details and eye contact and agree regarding more space.

Artie, was that the bird that was sighted on Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket for a few days a couple of years back?

[Arthur Morris]

Yes Axel, that is the one I was referring to.

[Ramon M. Casares]

Ramon, my friend, Please explain exactly what is great about the perch.

It is too big for the bird and part of it is sticking right at us. And aside from that, it is just plain ugly. And aside from that the ends of it are broken off. And the section at the back is also way ugly. So please do explain what is great about it. Thanks.

Well, I think that "plain ugly" is preety subjective Artie, I like these type of perches for birds of prey, I know it is broken and that that is not ideal, but I still like it, it has nice textures, colors and shape (except for the broken part) but it works for me, just different tastes I guess. :)

[Andy Nguyen]

I too feel that the crop is a bit tight. Perhaps a little room on top and the sides might do it IMO. I also think the perch is unique, despite slightly large for the bird, given that a re-crop according to the above suggestions might make it appear smaller. Beautiful capture, perfect exposure, great detail and sharpness, nice & clean background, interesting pose (love the fanning tail). I've never seen this bird before, that makes it even more of a gem.

[Arthur Morris]

Well, I think that "plain ugly" is preety subjective Artie, I like these type of perches for birds of prey, I know it is broken and that that is not ideal, but I still like it, it has nice textures, colors and shape (except for the broken part) but it works for me, just different tastes I guess. :)

I agree that ugly is subjective but perches can have either desirable or undesirable characteristics. This one has several undesirable characteristics, characteristics that can be quanitified, as noted above but taste aside, it is still hard to understand how anyone could describe it as "great."

[Ramon M. Casares]

I did :) As I said, to me it works, the shape, texture and size are nice for a bird of prey. I think that what made it work to me is the fantastic pose and species perched on it.
I try to be very selective with the perches I use, when I use them, and I give you that this one I probably wouldn't have chosen, but I still think it looks great in this specific image. I am sorry Artie, but I just cannot put taste aside in this case as that is preety much all I've got as an answer :)

[Arthur Morris]

Hi Again Ramon, First you say the perch is "great." Then you admit that it is probably one that you wouldn't have chosen. Which is it?

[Kobus Tollig]

Agree on Artie about the perch. It looks man made(broken part)
Artie we get them by us around Pretoria and Johannesbur in Feb every Year....and alot of them to.
GReat pose here and well exposed. REally nice shot well done on this

[Ramon M. Casares]

Hi Again Ramon, First you say the perch is "great." Then you admit that it is probably one that you wouldn't have chosen. Which is it?

I thought you were going to "hear" that part only :D , I say both Arte, I think I wouldn't have grabbed it from the floor, but at the same time I cannot lie, as I do like how it looks in this shot, as I said, it all comes down to a matter taste, I have seen a lot of images here with perches that I wouldn't have chosen that I have also liked at the same time, when I say that I wouldn't have chosen it, that not necessarily means that I don't like it, it just means that if I had had to choose a perch I wouldn't have had the capacity to visualize that this one would've worked, IMO, this good at the end. And again, it is not all about the perch, the natural moment above, the species, light, detail, etc, also helped to make it work.

[Fabs Forns]

Fantastic pose and two-toned BG. As mentioned, tight in the frame, but beautiful bird!

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

I love the pose and BG myself. It is tight for me as well. While not an ideal perch, true, why it still is acceptable for me is because the broken parts look at least weathered. If I were to set up, I don't think I'd select it. But the general public would not really care as this gorgeous image could well have been on shiny wire for them. That's why BPN is the best place on the net for all nature photographers for its team provide the perfectionist views, comments and teachings.

Let me guess Manos, Hungary? If so, I definitely visit home sometime soon.

[DanWalters]

Stunning image! Love the pose and the colors. Nice light as well.

[Lorant Voros]

Great image, Manos. I think it is a little too tight, but for the rest very-very well done. It must be Hungary....Akos, I will book a flight there too. Has anyone mentioned the perch yet??:-)
Big congratulations for this picture.

[Manos Papadomanolakis]

Yes...the image was created from a hide in Hungary!

[Arthur Morris]

What attracted the bird to the perch?

[Manos Papadomanolakis]

the female:)
From 20 of April until the first days of May is the mating season for red-footed falcons!!!
Artie,I Iove these birds.....i went to Hungary only for these birds:)

[Arthur Morris]

I am a bit confused. Was your blind by the nest? In any case, did you set up the perch or was it already there?

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Artie, I bet this is at Bence Máté’s personal set-up. See here:

http://www.nature-photographer.co.uk...p%20report.htm


www.sakertour.com is the company I think that can take you there.

[Arthur Morris]

Not sure. But do bring a pillow. I am wondering if Bence shoots through the mirror when he is working on his own. In my 25+ years I have not spent much time in blinds, except in TX.

What makes you think it's the place?

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Not sure. But do bring a pillow. I am wondering if Bence shoots through the mirror when he is working on his own. In my 25+ years I have not spent much time in blinds, except in TX.

What makes you think it's the place?

I am extremely smart Artie. ;)

Nah, I guessed, as I am sure that Manos has shot with Bence before and since Szimi is here and he knows Bence and ...... it's a small world in Europe for sure.

I am pretty sure Bence has that set-up and I doubt you could shoot those falcons in many places in Hungary. Anyway, I will gladly accept if I am wrong about location, of course.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Oshkosh. No need to be right here, just curious.

[Manos Papadomanolakis]

The perches are already there!
This image is from Sakertour....there are already hides....and you wait the action!
I was for 4 days in this hide and I had a great time there

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Manos. Were the perches put in place by a human?

Was this at Bence's place?

[Manos Papadomanolakis]

Yes Artie!

This image is from saketour and Janos in north/east Hungary
Bence`s place is in south Hungary...but the hides have the same philosophy!

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Manos, What is a saketour?

I will try my question once again: in your original post, did someone put the perch that your bird is on into place, in other words, did they set the perch up?