Maria Small
April 2026 - Red-Shouldered Hawk
Original
About the Image(s)
Took this image of a Red-Shouldered Hawk in May 2024 at the Carbon Canyon Park on my morning walk. It fascinated me that s/he looked at me very intently and watched while I took a
few shots from what seemed to him/her to be a safe distance. I just love his/her facial expression.
Camera settings were f6.3, 1/400 S, ISO 1250 @384 mm.
PP was done in Photoshop; did a big crop and removed most of the distracting branches and
leaves and blurred the background.
5 comments posted
Hi Maria - how fun that you got to get so close and interact with this normally skittish bird! I like your edits. Giving it a bit more room to the right works because that's about where its head is inclined. I like that expression too - very cute. Nice job. Posted: 04/02/2026 08:28:14
Hi Maria - Great image and you're so lucky to have more than a few seconds with a subject like this hawk! I wonder if a step to the left might have put more of the green background behind the hawk. Posted: 04/06/2026 20:02:24
Maria - this is made by the expression you have captured on your hawk - it's endearing. Great feather detail encourages a detailed look. My only suggestion is re the sky and the bright area to its immediate right, I find them unnecessarily bright ( in the latter case, just because of the dark tree). Posted: 04/08/2026 21:03:32
Maria, bird is sharp. Nice colors. Static birds do not do well in salons. Posted: 04/10/2026 00:50:38
Hi Maria,
I really like how you've framed the bird, the crop works very well, and the expression is so engaging. The colours and detail are excellent. The eye contact and the look it's giving you create a strong connection with the viewer. Posted: 04/12/2026 18:51:07
I really like how you've framed the bird, the crop works very well, and the expression is so engaging. The colours and detail are excellent. The eye contact and the look it's giving you create a strong connection with the viewer. Posted: 04/12/2026 18:51:07