Getting closer, both physically and creatively. I have found a good spot to observe the nest that cuts the distance in half - about 100 yards away - and does not cause issues with the nesting hawks. Besides, this is close enough to use a 500mm with a 1.4x extender for the composition I am currently looking to achieve. Yes, I have visualized a shot (or two) I would like to get.
My current objective, while I wait for the eyasses (nestling hawks) to hatch, is to capture a hawk returning to the nest with food. For this shot I have turned auto-focus off and I am pre-focusing on the right side of the nest. The pre-focus with an aperture of f/5.6 and ISO 200 setting are yielding shutter speeds at about 1/500 - 1/1000 depending on cloud cover. This should give me the depth of field I need as well as the ability to get a good string of shots. I am using a gimbal head and an image stabilized lens, so have not yet locked it all in place in case I have a chance for some quick flight shots. However, for the next trip to observe the nest I am going to add a remote shutter release and lock everything down as I am not very happy with the sharpness of the photos. It's hard to wait for an hour for a hawk to return and not get so excited that you squeeze the shutter button a little too hard.
Wildlife photography may be one of the most romanticized areas of photography - a mental image comes to mind of a rugged person; with a gleam in their eye; donned in lots of khaki; carrying the best equipment; stalking through the jungle; in search of some elusive endangered animal. Yeah right. Maybe for some lucky few, but that has not been my experience. Perhaps one of these days I'll get to go on location for National Geographic and live the dream. But for now, I spend most of my time walking around natural areas or sitting in my truck watching and waiting. Cold, wet and tired comes with the job, but it only takes a few moments to make it all worth it.
I was out recently with some friends hacking at a little white ball (some call it golf), and was lucky enough to spot a pair of Red-tailed Hawks building a nest in a big Cottonwood. And even better, there was good access and a great view from the east side of the tree. So I noted the location and could not wait to get out the next morning and have a closer look. And of course it snowed - hard. Now, some astute readers may be wondering how I get to play golf one day and then it snows the next - Welcome to Colorado in March my friends. And just as it likes to do in March it was sunny and 50 degrees the next few days. A few more days of snow and a few more days of sun over the next 10 days and I have managed to come back to the nest three times.
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