After searching for a week, I finally tripped over part of my local falcon brood. I heard the familiar screech but needed another 10 minutes with binoculars to find a bird. Then had to rush for gear from my studio a block away. I was lucky to have my subject stay put for this length of time, and a good storyline unfolded.
Several technical problems prevented the best imagery. Light was failing by the minute, causing motion blur as shutter speeds dropped and changing the color balance. I was afraid the birds would fly at any moment, so my support was hurriedly erected, imbalanced and sitting on slippery grit. I also struggled to keep critical focus as the birds moved around the ledge. AF has its uses.
Gear: D500, Nikkor 800/8 AI-S wide open, Gitzo 4, Wimberley WH-200 II. Falcon coverage was the precise rationale for this rig, giving me effective reach of 1200mm.
Above shot is a crop, and shows Mom with a fresh kill. In the next set below, frames 1 & 2 shows Mom dragging the pigeon along the ledge, leaving a trail of diced goodies. Frame 3 is Mom calling for Junior. She flew off at this point, and I waited for five minutes. I was packing the camera when Junior suddenly flew in for the feast, and started eating in frame 4. The foreground blur in frame 4 is Mom keeping watch from the air:
The next frames show Junior stuffing his face. As a 6-week old fledging, he is not yet able to hunt, so the parents will stash food around town at high altitude and then ring the dinner bell.
Dusk is feeding time for peregrines, so I don't get the ideal ambient light. In the next set, Mom actually lands on the ledge in frame 2, making sure Junior has eaten his vegetables. In frame 3, Junior downs an entire pigeon foot! Junior departs in frame 4.
Mom snacks briefly on leftovers, then departs:
Finally, here's the wide-angle view of the shooting situation. Action was on a ledge above the 6th floor, and I was camped on the other side of the street. While I can't hope for such a lively moment again, I do expect to find the peregrines with better light. A relaxed shooting pace should also improve my pixel quality.
After searching for a week, I finally tripped over part of my local falcon brood. I heard the familiar screech but needed another 10 minutes with binoculars to find a bird. Then had to rush for gear from my studio a block away. I was lucky to have my subject stay put for this length of time, and a good storyline unfolded.
Several technical problems prevented the best imagery. Light was failing by the minute, causing motion blur as shutter speeds dropped and changing the color balance. I was afraid the birds would fly at any moment, so my support was hurriedly erected, imbalanced and sitting on slippery grit. I also struggled to keep critical focus as the birds moved around the ledge. AF has its uses.
Gear: D500, Nikkor 800/8 AI-S wide open, Gitzo 4, Wimberley WH-200 II. Falcon coverage was the precise rationale for this rig, giving me effective reach of 1200mm.
Above shot is a crop, and shows Mom with a fresh kill. In the next set below, frames 1 & 2 shows Mom dragging the pigeon along the ledge, leaving a trail of diced goodies. Frame 3 is Mom calling for Junior. She flew off at this point, and I waited for five minutes. I was packing the camera when Junior suddenly flew in for the feast, and started eating in frame 4. The foreground blur in frame 4 is Mom keeping watch from the air:
The next frames show Junior stuffing his face:
Dusk is feeding time for peregrines, so I don't get the ideal ambient light. In the next set, Mom actually lands on the ledge in frame 2, making sure Junior has eaten his vegetables. In frame 3, Junior downs an entire pigeon foot! Junior departs in frame 4.
Mom snacks briefly on leftovers, then departs:
Finally, here's the wide-angle view of the shooting situation. Action was on a ledge above the 6th floor, and I was camped on the other side of the street. While I can't hope for such a lively moment again, I do expect to find the peregrines with better light. A relaxed shooting pace should also improve my pixel quality.
After searching for a week, I finally tripped over part of my local falcon brood. I heard the familiar screech but needed another 10 minutes with binoculars to find a bird. Then had to rush for gear from my studio a block away. I was lucky to have my subject stay put for this length of time, and a good storyline unfolded.
Several technical problems prevented the best imagery. Light was failing by the minute, causing motion blur as shutter speeds dropped and changing the color balance. I was afraid the birds would fly at any moment, so my support was hurriedly erected, imbalanced and sitting on slippery grit. I also struggled to keep critical focus as the birds moved around the ledge. AF has its uses.
Gear: D500, Nikkor 800/8 AI-S wide open, Gitzo 4, Wimberley WH-200 II. Falcon coverage was the precise rationale for this rig, giving me effective reach of 1200mm.
Above shot is a crop, and shows Mom with a fresh kill. In the next set below, frames 1 & 2 shows Mom dragging the pigeon along the ledge, leaving a trail of diced goodies. Frame 3 is Mom calling for Junior. She flew off at this point, and I waited for five minutes. I was packing the camera when Junior suddenly flew in for the feast, and started eating in frame 4. The foreground blur in frame 4 is Mom keeping watch from the air:
The next frames show Junior stuffing his face:
Dusk is feeding time for peregrines, so I don't get the ideal ambient light. In the next set, Mom actually lands on the ledge in frame 2, making sure Junior has eaten his vegetables. In frame 3, Junior downs an entire pigeon foot! Junior departs in frame 4.
Mom snacks briefly on leftovers, then departs:
Finally, here's the wide-angle view of the shooting situation. Action was on a ledge above the 6th floor, and I was camped on the other wide of the street. While I can't hope for such a lively moment again, I do expect to find the peregrines with better light. A relaxed shooting pace should also improve my pixel quality.
After searching for a week, I finally tripped over part of my local falcon brood. I heard the familiar screech but needed another 10 minutes with binoculars to find a bird. Then had to rush for gear from my studio a block away. I was lucky to have my subject stay put for this length of time, and a good storyline unfolded.
Several technical problems prevented the best imagery. Light was failing by the minute, causing motion blur as shutter speeds dropped and changing the color balance. I was afraid the birds would fly at any moment, so my support was hurriedly erected, imbalanced and sitting on slippery grit. I also struggled to keep critical focus as the birds moved around the ledge. AF has its uses.
Gear: D500, Nikkor 800/8 AI-S wide open, Gitzo 4, Wimberley WH-200 II. Falcon coverage was the precise rationale for this rig, giving me effective reach of 1200mm.
Above shot is a crop, and shows Mom with a fresh kill. In the next set below, frames 1 & 2 shows Mom dragging the pigeon along the ledge, leaving a trail of diced goodies. Frame 3 is Mom calling for Junior. She flew off at this point, and I waited for five minutes. I was packing the camera when Junior suddenly flew in for the feast, and started eating in frame 4. The foreground blur in frame 4 is Mom keeping watch from the air:
The next frames show Junior stuffing his face:
Dusk is feeding time for peregrines, so I don't get the ideal ambient light. In the next set, Mom actually lands on the ledge in frame 2, making sure Junior has eaten his vegetables. In frame 3, Junior downs an entire pigeon foot! Junior departs in frame 4.
Mom snacks briefly on leftovers, then departs:
Finally, here's the wide-angle view of the shooting situation. Action was on a ledge above the 6th floor, and I was camped on the other wide of the street. While I can't hope for such a lively moment again, I do expect to find the peregrines with better light. A relaxed shooting pace should also improve my pixel quality.
