Motif: Hungry Redtail

Posted by ajhand on Tue Sep 23, 2003 9:16 am

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I got this bird last winter. He was hunting meadow voles from a low perch in a pine tree. Every 15 minutes or so he would very slowly drop from the perch and pick off a vole in the weeds surrounding the pine. If you look closely you can see a bit of blood on his face.
I'm not sure what the voles were smoking. The hawk made no attempt at stealth, but he rarely came up empty.

Canon 1D, 500 f/4 w/2x.

aj hand

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by Dennis Olivero on Tue Sep 23, 2003 9:20 am

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Excellent portrait, with little morsels around the mouth!

[b]Dennis Olivero[/b]
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by Sandy Mossberg on Tue Sep 23, 2003 9:46 am

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I like it, AJ, especially the blood around his mouth. The catchlight has a strange appearance. You didn't mention flash but that's what it looks like.

Sandy Mossberg
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by ajhand on Tue Sep 23, 2003 10:15 am

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Sandy:

That catchlight does look odd. I went back to my original PSD file . The catchlight seems square, and I think I see my red pickup (I was shooting out the window) surrounding it, so it might be flash. On the other hand, it seems too high on the eye, and it is so large compared to what might be the truck, that I am not sure.

aj

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by Bill Whala on Tue Sep 23, 2003 10:19 am

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This is a beautiful photo! Getting a head shot of a non-captive bird is quite a feat.

Very well done!!

Bill Whala

"Aves of similar plumage tend to converge with one another"

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by Rich S on Tue Sep 23, 2003 11:27 am

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Wonderfully done to get a head shot of this guy. Truck's a great blind. Love the feather detail. Catchlight is different. I thought it looked like a bird in flight.

Rich

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by E.J. Peiker on Tue Sep 23, 2003 11:38 am

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Excellent head shot! I agree the trace of blood around the bill adds significantly.

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by Mike Danzenbaker on Tue Sep 23, 2003 11:43 am

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aj,

This is a tremendous shot considering it's a wild bird; every bit as good as the portraits we often see of captive birds.

"Animal instinct is more amazing than human ingenuity."

Mike
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by Mike Wilson on Tue Sep 23, 2003 12:11 pm

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Smokin' portrait AJ. Sharp and lit very well. This is incredibly close for a wild hawk. How much, if any, did you crop this?

Mike Wilson
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by AlexC on Tue Sep 23, 2003 12:54 pm

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Red the killer Hawk!!!
Wonderful capture of a great predator, the blood makes it even more realistic, wonderful detail and exposure as well, Congrats!!!

[b]Alex Calzadilla[/b]
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"At the feast of ego everyone leaves hungry." - Bentley's House of Coffee and Tea, Tucson, AZ

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by Jim Zipp on Tue Sep 23, 2003 1:00 pm

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I love this one aj! I just think he looks rather well fed rather than hungry!

Jim Zipp
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by NDCheryl on Tue Sep 23, 2003 1:14 pm

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Very cool shot. Wonderful detail and the blood puts this one over the top for me.

Cheryl Ertelt
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by Bob Ettinger on Tue Sep 23, 2003 1:50 pm

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AJ,

Great shot, love the detail and the colors.

Bob Ettinger

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by Bruce DiVaccaro on Tue Sep 23, 2003 2:03 pm

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AJ,

This is a gorgeous portrait. The colors look great and the blood is an added bonus.

Bruce DiVaccaro
Sheffield Village, Ohio
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by ajhand on Tue Sep 23, 2003 2:49 pm

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Mike:

You asked about the crop on this. My original is more of a head and shoulders shot. I cropped that one a bit for this motif, maybe in inch off the top and bottom. But this hawk and I got along pretty well last winter. I could usually get as close as I wanted.

aj

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by Bill Keown on Tue Sep 23, 2003 2:59 pm

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Nice detail and colors. A great portrait.

Bill Keown

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by Laura Stiefel on Tue Sep 23, 2003 4:25 pm

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You've already heard this is wonderful- which I agree with. I just wanted to add that I love the look of the eye and brow line. There is just such a look of consternation on this bird's face!