Red-tailed Hawk juvi

[Bill Dix]

D90; 80-400 VR @ 270mm. ISO 400. f/5.3 @ 1/1000s. Matrix metering @ -1.0 EV. HH. 15% crop.

Came across this from last May; don't think I posted it at the time. This juvi was totally absorbed in watching a string of Canada goslings following their parents - concentrating more on his next lunch than on me. Approached to the min. focusing distance of the lens and could have gotten closer if I had been carrying extension tubes. Strong light coming from my left; but I couldn't move to the left without falling into the lake, so I had to do a bunch of s/h, burning and dodging to even out the light. I've subsequently learned that f/5.3 is not the sweet spot of this lens. Appreciate comments and critique.

[Lance Peters]

Hi Bill - Like the HA and clear sharp eye - like the feet and talons also :)
Bird still looks a tad dark on my screen - could just be my screen.
Might desat the greens just a tad.
Composition works for me.
good show :)

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Nice pose Bill, lovely surroundings. I might take a bit off the top. Good sharpness. Exposure looks good to me as some of the whites are getting close to the edge, but not over. Well done.

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Bill Can add I would lighten the head area a little bit, should be easy !!

[Dave Mills]

Hi Bill, Agree with above comments and feel you handled the lighting pretty well based on what you were facing...

[arash_hazeghi]

Nice Bill, did very well given the light, like the ambiance of this image.

[Gail Cordes]

This bird must have been really interested in the goslings to let you get this close!! Around here (upstate NY) all you have to do is stop the car and the hawk takes off. Don't even have time to get the camera to the window!! I really like your image.

[Bill Dix]

Thank you all for the comments. Here's a version with a bit more dodging on the head, burning on the flowers, and a 15 point desaturation of the greens.

Gail: He was totally absorbed in the baby geese (and I've also found that the immature birds seem less spooky than the mature ones). I thought it might make an interesting action shot of him going after the fluffy goslings, but my wife was with me and threatened to knock him in the head if he so much as made a move in their direction. Eventually the parents herded the little ones to the other shore and out of danger, for now.

[Harold Davis]

repost looks better!! i like it, but the greens in the bg still seem too saturated. the fg ones look good now.

you can bet he'll be back for another look!!! better leave the wife home!!!:D