Cindy Marple
August 2026 - Lesser Nighthawk
Original
About the Image(s)
Lesser Nighthawks are erratic bug-hunters that are active at dawn and dusk. There's a spot on a local river where small groups gather and fly over the river hunting at dawn. They weren't as close as I'd have liked, but then that made it a bit easier to track their erratic movements. I chose this image with a bit of vegetation in the background instead of the plain blue sky. Nikon Z8, 600mm, 1/2500 f/6.3 ISO1000. Processing: reduced exposure, slight increase in contrast, crop, denoise with Topaz.
4 comments posted
Cindy, I like the way you gave this a vertical orientation and the way it fits the diagonal swoop of the wings. Very well exposed, and the hint of treetops in the background serves to place the hawk in relation to its height above ground. Nice and sharp -- fine job! Posted: 08/13/2026 21:07:57
This is lovely Cindy - in part helped by your decision to choose an image with diffused vegetation just to add more interest. As Jerry states, the portrait presentation helps. Fabulous! Posted: 08/18/2026 14:20:12
Cindy l can see why you cropped it vertical to give it a "sweeping" effect at least to my eyes. Nice inflight capture. Posted: 08/24/2026 20:42:42
Hi Cindy,
I love your crop, as it enhances the bird and presents it in a very nice pose without any distractions, while still giving us a sense of its environment with the green trees.
Lovely bird! It's the first time I've seen one of these. Posted: 08/24/2026 20:52:37
I love your crop, as it enhances the bird and presents it in a very nice pose without any distractions, while still giving us a sense of its environment with the green trees.
Lovely bird! It's the first time I've seen one of these. Posted: 08/24/2026 20:52:37