Jim,
That is absolutely stunning. It looks like he posed in a studio. What aperture did you use to get the bird so sharp, yet the bokeh so creamy?
Great job.
Steve
Thank you! I agonized over spending the money for an RF600/4 because I have the RF100-500 which yields a very nice DOF wide open. I've owned the EF600/4 and the EF800/5.6 so I'm familiar with the wonderful "look" they can give you, this image is a great example of why the big whites are worth every penny. I shot this at f/4, handheld. The Hawk was majestically perched, I almost didn't bother because I figured that he'd fly off before I could get the 600 mounted, but he was in for a portrait. The image you see is 100% of the original frame, he allowed me to shoot him for three or four minutes and didn't ruffle a feather, then he got bored and flew off.
Thanks John! Normally I'm shooting wings with rivets, the Hawk was a nice change. I'm a commercial shooter so all these tools earn their keep. The RF600/4 is an incredible piece of glass, the investment was well worth it.
Jim a beautiful portrait of a sweet bird. I agree with Steve above it looks like a studio portrait. Ive been down that road with big glass myself a few times, you just can't beat the results of those big white primes.
I agree with others in thinking that's a Cooper's Hawk -- but whatever it is, you got a stunning image of it. Very impressive all the way around -- nice work!
Thank you Karl! My brother in law who is an avid birder, log book and the whole nine yards, mentioned the identity, I don't know it from a tufted titmouse................ I do know that Red Tail Hawks are fairly common in North Texas so you may well be correct.
Thank you to all of you guys, I have long been an admirer of the incredible imagery that gets posted here on a regular basis. I sought counsel from "Rob Amy" a couple of times when I was trying to decide on the RF600 purchase, he told me to do it and not look back. I've never regretted a big white purchase, this one is no exception. Thanks again for your kind words re: this image, and keep up the wonderful work, it's inspirational!
JWilsonphoto wrote:
Thank you Karl! My brother in law who is an avid birder, log book and the whole nine yards, mentioned the identity, I don't know it from a tufted titmouse................ I do know that Red Tail Hawks are fairly common in North Texas so you may well be correct.
Well you sure know your planes and I don't. But the comment being a Coopers immature makes sense except that I don't see the tail I would expect to see on the Coopers? A black and white banded tail?
None the less that shot is a beauty and hope you throw us a few more!
Karl
Thank you Karl, that means a great deal coming from someone with your talent. Funny, I have been doing this commercially for over 40 years and I have been Blessed, but every once in a while I shoot something that reminds me why I love photography, the Hawk image is one of those times. I love my commercial clients and always strive to give them the very best product possible, often under very challenging conditions and timelines. The assignments feed the bottom line very nicely, but the soul......not so much. As I post processed the Hawk image I realized that I need to force myself to shoot more of those types of subjects, so I don't lose the fascination and love of the craft that led me to where I am today.
Thank you again for your appreciation of that shot, I will do my best to come up with a few more in the future.
kdacharya wrote:
the big primes are worth every penny. Lovely shot there
Thank you! Yes, the effect of a high quality long lens is immediately recognizable. My RF100-500 is a remarkable lens, especially given the price point, but it can't hold a candle to the RF600/4. The question that raced through my mind as I was debating the purchase was, is the image $10,000 better and that has to be answered individually. I just knew that I couldn't stand knowing that quality was available and I didn't have it in my arsenal. Every image that I shot I would think, how much better could it be if I had the 600/4? Same thing with the RF50 and RF85/1.2 lenses, absurdly expensive optics that render unmistakeable results so you bite the bullet and figure it out later.
Beautiful image!
The hawk gave you the opportunity for a superb portrait and you captured it.
It's hard to say the 600/4 paid for itself with this one image, but IMO if you get one more this good it's paid in full.
I do know that Red Tail Hawks are fairly common in North Texas so you may well be correct.