Peregrin Feeding
I came across this Peregrin falcon with his pray...a Mallard Duck. He posed for several hundred shots
I came across this Peregrin falcon with his pray...a Mallard Duck. He posed for several hundred shots
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Feb, 2016Views
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Contest Finalist in Animals In The Winter Photo Contest
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PaulEnigma
April 27, 2018
Join the conversation. Add a comment or even better, a critique. Let's get better together!
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PaulEnigma
April 27, 2018
Beautiful shot of a falcon with what looks like duck for lunch Fantastic shot
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
My house backs onto a federally recognized area for bird habitat. The area has an amazing array of bird species.Time
I took this shot pre-noon on a cold winter day. I walk to the back three or four times a day--sometimes to just stretch my legs and other times as a destination to take wildlife photos. Either way I usually bring my camera with me. The morning I shot this Peregrine Falcon I was just going for a walk. I actually was just wearing slip on shoes. When I noticed the Falcon on the lake I couldn't believe my luck. I had to break a trail through two feet of snow to get to the ice on the lake, in my slip on shoes, but it was worth it. I took several shots of the Falcon both enjoying his meal and in flight. It was an awesome sight to see and almost worth the near frost bitten toes.Lighting
The day was overcast so it provided me with a giant natural softbox. If the clouds would have been a bit lighter it might have helped with the lighting but as is the case with most wildlife photography, you shoot in the conditions you have.Equipment
I was using my Canon 7D Mark II with a Tamron 150-600. The Tamron is an amazing lens for the price and when you're able to open up to f8 it's even better. The camera is hands down one of the top cameras out there now for wildlife, in my humble opinion.Inspiration
Photographing this series of shots was a no brainer. It's not every day that you see a Peregrine, let alone a Peregrine with his prey. The site motivated me to get closer and walk through snow in slip on shoes with very little hesitation.Editing
I've started relying more and more on Photoshop to get the results I want on photos. Sometimes I can get away with just working in Lightroom, but more often than not I prefer going into Photoshop and using a bit of dodge and burn to bring out the edges of feathers and to sharpen the image where I want it sharpened.In my camera bag
I usually don't have a lot when I'm out walking nearby, but when I go for a few hours I carry my Canon 7D Mark II with the Tamron 150-600. I also sometimes bring my Canon 100mm macro in case I run across something interesting. When I go out with my macro lens I often bring a few speedlights with on flash diffusers to catch whatever strikes me at the macro level. I also carry a Vanguard tripod and a folding seat as well as extra batteries and memory cards.Feedback
The thing with wildlife photography is you just have to be there at the right time and the right place. My advice would be spend as much time as you can in the wild--even a local city park can offer surprises. It's not uncommon to see Bald Eagles and Osprey's and Falcons and Owls and every kind of Heron you could imagine. There are several types of ducks and wood ducks and cormorants and egrets and kingfisher.... You may not have all of those in your local park but you surely would get a rare visit from time to time that makes it worth your while.
