Here again is my juvie red-shouldered hawk friend who likes to perch along southbound 869 at the edge of the Everglades. This is the best image I've gotten of him so far. I had to remove several twigs and branches in the BG. Is the side light too strong? I could not get the sun behind me because of the fence.
Nikon D80
300mm f/2.8 AI-S
ISO 100
1/1600
f/?
Time of day: 6 PM
About 75% of original image
I don't find the light too harsh. I like the look-back pose and the sharpness. I'd like to see this posted at 1024 pixels wide. Perhaps a slight saturation boost.
I too like the pose, eye contact and feathers. Angle is very good IMO, lower angle will take away from eye contact. Light is nice and not harsh at all. I would crop tighter and sharpen up a little bit. The larger image shows more detail, always post as large as you can!