Female Sparrow Hawk

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Fisherman

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30
Name
Richard
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Yes
4082841759_f084eec51b.jpg


Managed to get a shot of the female today along with her camera shy partner.
 
Nice, focus is just where it should be. 7D focus looks OK on yours, do you rate it?
 
a
 
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I would of used a much higher shutter speed. The blur of the wings ruins it in my opinion.

Lee O'D said:
Nice, focus is just where it should be. 7D focus looks OK on yours, do you rate it?
Click to expand...

I disagree :wacky:, i would of ensured that my shutter speed was quite high to ensure all of the bird is in focus rather than just half of it. And lowered the depth of field to add a little bluryness to the background to add that extra effect.
 
Thanks for the comments. In an ideal world where everything is perfect and all the time in the world can be taken over carefully contrived shots then perhaps the criticism is warranted but............moments before the sparrowhawk flitted in I was snapping away at a water rail tucked away in the margins. No time to react other to swing the lens towards the Hawk and hang on. f7.1 ISO 400 1/640. The 300 f2.8 lens needs to be stopped down to f7.1 when the 2x converter is attached. Wide open at F5.6 images are a little soft. Shooting in AV I tweak the ISO up and down to adjust the shutter speed. So long as I do better than the reciprocal length I'm happy. I had criticism for the Jay shot I posted where the Jay in flight had been caught without any signs of movement at all, which did not please the viewer !!!.................So in answer to your post, We as photographers will never please everybody, not even some of the time.

Kind regards
Richard.
 
Looks good to me. The blurred wings add to the effect of the shot - shows the movement. And these birds are notoriously tricky to get shots of as they move so quickly, unless you're jammy and get one feeding or perched.

Certainly isn't easy to rig up the camera for a shot like this as it's not expected.
 
Personally I think the movement in the wings conveys the speed and agility of the Sparrow Hawk beautifully. To have the main body sharp and the wings nicely blurred like that brings the viewer into the image. Infact many of my clients strive for that look as well.

I really like it (y)

Arron
 
KimThomas said:
I would of used a much higher shutter speed. The blur of the wings ruins it in my opinion.

I disagree :wacky:, i would of ensured that my shutter speed was quite high to ensure all of the bird is in focus rather than just half of it. And lowered the depth of field to add a little bluryness to the background to add that extra effect.
Click to expand...

what a cock

Fisherman said:
Thanks for the comments. In an ideal world where everything is perfect and all the time in the world can be taken over carefully contrived shots then perhaps the criticism is warranted but............moments before the sparrowhawk flitted in I was snapping away at a water rail tucked away in the margins. No time to react other to swing the lens towards the Hawk and hang on. f7.1 ISO 400 1/640. The 300 f2.8 lens needs to be stopped down to f7.1 when the 2x converter is attached. Wide open at F5.6 images are a little soft. Shooting in AV I tweak the ISO up and down to adjust the shutter speed. So long as I do better than the reciprocal length I'm happy. I had criticism for the Jay shot I posted where the Jay in flight had been caught without any signs of movement at all, which did not please the viewer !!!.................So in answer to your post, We as photographers will never please everybody, not even some of the time.

Kind regards
Richard.
Click to expand...

good answer, completely agree - these things always happen when you're not prepared for it, did well to get the thing in focus! - great action aswell, nice shot (y)

drew
 
I think the motion blur is a 'marmite thing' for some pictures. I dont like it in this one myself but I understand how hard it can be to get a good shot of them in the first place, so ignoring the motion blue I like it :)

If the bird was just taking off with it's prey in talons or just pouncing on its prey then I think motion blur might suit to convey the action a bit more, but thats just my thoughts...

...either way, a good capture, thanks for sharing :)
 
Who the he'll called me a cock. Do you know who I am mate. Man people these days, just don't have any respect for other people than themselves. Is it illegal to make suggestion?
 
KimThomas said:
Who the he'll called me a cock. Do you know who I am mate. Man people these days, just don't have any respect for other people than themselves. Is it illegal to make suggestion?
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Me :wave: who are you then? the queen of Sheba? I coludn't give a flying **** either way love, all I know is your reply to the OP's was rude, not called and completely irrelevant as if you read what fisherman replied to you with I'm sure you'd take into consideration what he actually did and you'd take a step back and think, yeh fair enough, rushed shot but still got it and i'm sure in a perfect world, when he could of changed settings etc etc etc

I am seriously laughing at your "Do you know who I am mate" comment - thanks for my chuckle for the day :bonk:

kisses xx
 
What ashame you do not no me in real life :/ that's real pity. :(
 
And for your information I did take into consideration what fisherman said and I understood that. Just because I decided not to post it doesn't mean I didn't take it into account.
 
Hi Richard and a warm welcome to TP :LOL::LOL: Imho to catch a bird on the fly like that takes a bit of skill. You saw the opportunity and took it without hesitation, many would have looked at their camera settings first and and missed the shot, or simply just panicked ending with one for the bin. The additional blurr combined with the weight of the body just lifting off the ground works well together. A picture of a bird in that position with the wings all in focus pointing upwards would not work so well.
Thanks for sharing (y)
 
Having had imprint Spars for a few years, I know how fast they really move
so, for a "grab shot" you did well (y)
 
KimThomas said:
I would of used a much higher shutter speed. The blur of the wings ruins it in my opinion.



I disagree :wacky:, i would of ensured that my shutter speed was quite high to ensure all of the bird is in focus rather than just half of it. And lowered the depth of field to add a little bluryness to the background to add that extra effect.
Click to expand...

If you knew anything about flight photography, you would understand why I said that the focus is just where it should be. The aim is to convey movement by blurring the wings.
 
Lee O'D said:
If you knew anything about flight photography, you would understand why I said that the focus is just where it should be. The aim is to convey movement by blurring the wings.
Click to expand...

(y) Spot on, if the image showed the wings as sharp then it would not have anywhere near the same appeal.

Also KimThomas - the "do you know who I am" comment, whats that all about. Do you know who the OP is? Do you know who anyone on this forum is? Chill out, relax, go out and take some pics. Post your results then we may just get to know who you are??

Arron
 
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As a grab shot and in the circumstances described, I think you did damned well to get it in any form of focus,so well done.

We all have grab shots when the totally unexpected turns up fleetingly.It is not always possible to dial different apertures or shutter speeds in, sometimes you just have to point and shoot with the settings you have.
 
Fantastic Capture Love The Eyes Very Well Done

Kirk
 
Pretty neat for a grab shot, good reflexes.
I might just have managed a patch of grass with the tip of a blurred trailing wing :)
 
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