Pamela Hoaglund
March 2025 - Red-tailed Hawk
Original
About the Image(s)
At the wildlife refuge the raptors often use the signage to get a higher viewpoint to find prey. Taken in 2019 at the Ridgefield NWR in WA. Sony 7M2 and Sony 70-300mm lens. ISO 800,shutter speed 1/250sec at f/5.6. At the refuge you have to stay in your car as you drive a five mile loop. Your car is your blind. I use a bean bag on the car window to stabilize the camera. Today I would be using a much higher shutter speed in anticipation of getting a flight shot. I processed this in 2019, my usual post processing is to set the white and black points, add dynamic contrast and sharpening all in ON1 RAW.
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5 comments posted
That ominous stare captures my attention immediately. I think the sidelight works well to bring out the detail in the feathers, but it has left the eye somewhat shade. I might suggest doing a bit of dodging there to get a little more light n the eye. The background is free of distraction and really makes this a nice portrait in my opinion. the negative space on the right adds to the impact, but for me there is a bit too much. I think a slight crop there would be helpful. Posted: 03/13/2025 11:15:03
The intense expression and the soft warm swirls of color in the uncluttered background create a lovely portrait. I also love the original with the bird perched on the sign. He looks as if he is daring you to get out of the car and ignore the warning. Posted: 03/13/2025 20:57:04
What a great stare you captured, so intense. You have really steady hands to take such a sharp image, even in a car. I find this image very pleasing, I like the sharp subject and the muted, soft background. I agree with Sharon that a bit of the right side could be cropped while still leaving space for the hawk to stare into. For me, I think the eye is just right. Posted: 03/16/2025 13:01:24
Wonderful portrait shot. The stare of the watchful eye, the detail caught in the head and the feathers are great. I would go along with Sharon's suggestion of dodging the top and right side if the eye to farther enhance the eye. I feel that either cropping some off the right side would help or back to the original and crop just above the signage showing more if the wings. Posted: 03/16/2025 15:11:09
Nice image and I like the side lighting. I might consider making a tighter crop, higher up on the hawk's body. I would also increase the exposure a bit on the bird. You might also be able to very slightly brighten the yellow of the eye while remaining mindful of the light angle. Posted: 03/20/2025 16:05:25