Juvenile Red Shouldered Hawk..

[Eric Diller]

This is one of my new friends! He hangs out about 30 yards from the Fox Den and Eagle nest. Got to love this little place.

Landed in the shade on a perch. I don't like flash as it always scares them away. I was able to get with in 20 feet of this bird, he seemed like he trusted me. Mono pod used on both shots!

Your thoughts on how i dealt with the lighting?

 

[Don Cohen]

Nice work, Eric. I think you handled the shade just fine. Exposure and tonality look natural and even.

To my eye and monitor, the White Balance seems just a little on the cool side. I forget if you shoot Canon, but I've found that every Canon DSLR I've owned tends to keep the White Balance on the cool side in shaded light. You might play with it in your Raw Converter or Photoshop, and tone down the blue channel a bit, to 'warm' it up a tad.

The only other suggestion would be to consider just a hint of fill flash, to get a catch light in its eye, and bring out the colors a bit.

 

[Eric Diller]

Nice work, Eric. I think you handled the shade just fine. Exposure and tonality look natural and even.

To my eye and monitor, the White Balance seems just a little on the cool side. I forget if you shoot Canon, but I've found that every Canon DSLR I've owned tends to keep the White Balance on the cool side in shaded light. You might play with it in your Raw Converter or Photoshop, and tone down the blue channel a bit, to 'warm' it up a tad.

The only other suggestion would be to consider just a hint of fill flash, to get a catch light in its eye, and bring out the colors a bit.

Thanks Don...
Actually I use Nikon, D300.I thought of the white balance but i tried to keep the natural colr undr the tree. If i would have used a fill flash.... he would freak and fly, I tried it last week and he did not like that at all!!! LOL. This time he let me get close because I promised no bright flashes !!

 

[Don Cohen]

If i would have used a fill flash.... he would freak and fly, I tried it last week and he did not like that at all!!! LOL. This time he let me get close because I promised no bright flashes !!

I hear you!

I was in New Zealand a few years back, wanting to photograph some Royal Spoonbills. It was a dismal and cloudy day, and I had my flash setup to try and bring some light and life to these curious, but white birds. They finally came within range, and after the first shot, they freaked and flew well out of reach. I turned off my flash, and eventually they returned and I was able to get some shots.

Sometimes you can get away with it, but many times you can't!