Peregrine falcon eye and beak
Arguably the fastest bird in the air at up to 200 miles per hour over short distances, The Peregrine falcon is a formidable adversary....
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Arguably the fastest bird in the air at up to 200 miles per hour over short distances, The Peregrine falcon is a formidable adversary.
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Sep, 2016Views
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Awards
Fall Award 2020
Peer Award
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken during a visit to the Andover Hawk Conservancy in Hampshire UK. Besides the falcon being a beautiful bird, its colours are so vivid. It looks extremely placid here but the peregrine falcon is a brilliant hunter and attacks from the sky at speeds up to 200 miles per hour. A true force of nature.Time
The image was taken during the early afternoon on a partially cloudy day.Lighting
Lighting was natural daylight and because it was partially cloudy, the light was not too harsh.Equipment
This was shot on a Canon 7750D with a Tamron 70-300 mm lens. ISO 1000?Shutter 1/400?Focal Length 270/1?Inspiration
The falcon looked so majestic showing brilliant colours. It was just begging to be photographed.Editing
This particular image has been heavily cropped. The original image was a full head and shoulders photograph of the bird. I cropped this to highlight the colours around the eyes and beak and some of the colour variations in its feathers.In my camera bag
A lot depends on what I am going to photograph. I always have my Canon 5D Mk III camera body. I have several lenses: Canon 50 mm prime lens; Canon 24-105 mm lens; Tamron 70-300 mm lens; and a Tamron 200-400mm lens. I also have a Canon 3x converter plus cleaning materials, a Speedlight flash unit and several filters. Once I've planned my photo shoot I pack my bag with the equipment I'll need for that. My tripod doesn't always go with me but I have it if I need it.Feedback
Capturing wild birds of prey in the wild is never easy. First you have to see them and then they have to stay still long enough for you to photograph them. The other challenge, of course, is being in the right part of the world. I'm lucky enough to live on the edge of the new forest in southern England. There I can see owls and many other bird species in natural habitats. To capture birds of prey, especially the more exotic ones, I am fortunate to have several hawk and wildlife conservancy places near me. I recommend visiting them because their birds are generally well looked after. They also hold flying exhibitions which allow for photographing the birds in flight.
