Predator
Taken at a Cathedrals nature garden.
Taken at a Cathedrals nature garden.
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May, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I heard of a falconry owned by a Gothic Cathedral, so I decided to venture the old city to find it. I eventually found the centre down a cobble street behind old houses. Inside were a variety of bird's of prey, then stumbling across the Falcon in my photo soaking up the sun on a patch of grass.Time
This was actually taken on my birthday at mid day when the sun was high. It was a warm day so the Falcon in my picture was basking in the sun, looking proud and watching everything around it. My idea of an enjoyable birthday is not drinking at loud events, but instead being with my camera and capturing moments that should be remembered.Lighting
I intended the Falcon to be the focus point of the image, showing off his pride and power. Harsh sunlight was present at this time, therefore I increased the shutter speed and avoided any dark shadows and overexposed white feathers. The shallow depth of field along with the bright lighting conditions produced a bright green background that makes the Falcon the center focus, allowing people to see his curious and powerful stare. His eyes were almost glowing from the sun's rays that enhanced his dramatic stare even more.Equipment
I travelled fairly lite, trusting my instincts and using the environment to capture interesting and powerful images. I did not have a tripod, therefore I leaned on a wooden post when taking this photo. I used a Canon 7D with a Canon eos 100-400L f4 IS USM lens. This camera and lens are my favourite to use, especially when capturing wildlife images. The lens is fast, sharp and covers a great distance. The Canon L lens range lives up to its expectations.Inspiration
I love wildlife photography, so when I heard about this hidden Falconry centre owned by a grand Cathedral I had to find it. I love to capture the character of the animals, showing their personality in a simple photo. Therefore for this Falcon I wanted to show it's powerful stare that becomes one of its deadly predatory weapons.Editing
For wildlife photographs I do not carry out much processing, instead try to get it right when taking the picture. I altered the levels slightly in Adobe Photoshop CC to make sure it is neither under or over exposed. I used the unsharp mask to enhance the details and cropped the image slightly from the top and bottom to make the Falcon fill the frame.In my camera bag
For wildlife photography I take a backpack with equipment that will cover most senarios. For example it contains a Canon 60mm f2.8 IS USM macro lens for close up subjects. A Canon 100-400mm L f4 IS USM telephoto lens for animals further away and a Canon 16-35mm L f2.8 IS USM wide angle lens. These allow me to get creative with great quality. I use the Canon 7D which is a great camera but will be adding a full frame camera to the bag in the future as well.Feedback
For wildlife photography patience and practice is important. The animals could do anything at any time, so be prepared and ready for anything. Great impacting shots of animals in action is wonderful to capture but sometimes simplicity can also be just as powerful. Dont be afraid to play with different perspectives. The background in my image was not very interesting, therefore I used a shallow depth of field to blur it out and made the Falcon fill the frame. I focused on the small details of his expression and positioning. I challenge myself to create a story about the animal and show his personality through images that may not always be filled with action. Always challenge yourself and never stop shooting. I am a young photographer and not a professional but I do not give up. Even though I am visually impaired I do not let it stop me and keep experimenting and doing what I love.
