White-Tailed Kite Juvi with Prey

[Doug Brown]

I've spent the last few days in Northern California photographing White-Tailed Kites with Arash Hazeghi. We've had a great time getting to know the Kites and one another! They're visually stunning, and are small, skittish, and fast. It's been extremely demanding physically; I don't remember the last time my muscles were this sore! I usually wait until I get home from a trip to post images, but I had to sneak one in while I'm still in California.



Canon 1D Mark IV, 600mm + 1.4x, f/6.3, 1/2000, ISO 640, manual exposure, hand held

[Dan Brown]

Looks like Arash knew of a good Kite spot Doug! I like the eye contact and exp. The sharpness is not quite what I'm use to seeing from your images, probably from your laptop processing and your sore muscles:)

[arash_hazeghi]

This is excellent Doug, love the look and the prey! perfect exposure too.

We had a great time shooting the kites together, white-tailed kites are among the toughest birds to get in flight. They are extremely skittish and refuse to give you any eye contact, a slight hint of shadow on the eye kills the entire image even if everything else is perfect. Plus we were hiking on the steep slopes while hand holding the gear for more than 4 hours at a time.

Looks like Arash knew of a good Kite spot Doug! I like the eye contact and exp. The sharpness is not quite what I'm use to seeing from your images, probably from your laptop processing and your sore muscles:)

Dan, some of the images were unfortunately not as sharp as we'd like, this was mostly due to atmospheric conditions in the Arastardero area, there are lots of thermals in the air which the kites use to gain altitude. Most of the files that were soft, were soft for both of us. This image can also benefit from selective sharpening of the eye but it does have the fine facial details of a juvenile kite.

[James Salywoda]

We have one locally at that place we shoot the RT Hawks I went out and tried for it but can't get close enough yet :( But anyways this is plenty sharp and probably could take a touch more SS I don't think people realize how tough it is just getting
a small bird in flight especially HH the 600/ 1.4 I wish it was mine.....:D

[Arthur Morris]

Doug, Love the flight pose and the perfect EXP. To me t.This image looks like one of your early 7D posts with not quite there sharpness and a lack of fine detail.

[Arthur Morris]

This is excellent Doug, love the look and the prey! perfect exposure too. We had a great time shooting the kites together, white-tailed kites are among the toughest birds to get in flight. They are extremely skittish and refuse to give you any eye contact, a slight hint of shadow on the eye kills the entire image even if everything else is perfect. Plus we were hiking on the steep slopes while hand holding the gear for more than 4 hours at a time.
Dan, some of the images were unfortunately not as sharp as we'd like, this was mostly due to atmospheric conditions in the Arastardero area, there are lots of thermals in the air which the kites use to gain altitude. Most of the files that were soft, were soft for both of us. This image can also benefit from selective sharpening of the eye but it does have the fine facial details of a juvenile kite.

Hey Arash, Thanks for the explanatory info. It is good to see you posting again. I mentioned you in a post today :)

[Mital Patel]

am good with the position captured here. i know similar kite we called Black winged kite here never giver a natural perch and you end up or giving up waiting to take off or land on electric wires :)..
am sure most of you are in really good conditions but i bet if you visit my place you get 100% change to fight with atmosphere in Western INDIA. So hot, dusty all the time and hazy as well.

comparing that conditions i would call this perfect image ..

though am not expert but reading here was like feeling taken at my place :)

[Stu Bowie]

I like the eye Doug, with a good flight posture. Understanding the conditions, still well done for getting this fast flyer in the frame.

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

I also like the image a lot, especially for the eye contact and position of the wings. I also agree about the lack of fine details but as mentioned above must be for the amount of haze in the air. Still an image I would love to have in my files!

[Doug Brown]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I'll definitely have another look on my desktop monitor when I get home. You'll be getting to know these birds a little better as I post more images of them in the coming weeks.

[Doug Brown]

Seeing it on the big screen makes all the difference in the world!