Raptors

Birds of prey, raptors, hawks, eagles, owls. You name it. Hunting these predators down with the camera is a big part of the thrill for me.

Red Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)
Fairborn Marsh, Fairborn, Ohio This was my first ever encounter with a hawk of any type! These have been referred to as "Marsh Hawks" due to their tendency to reside near wetter habitats. A little fun fact is their memorable call can be heard mimicked by Blue Jays. Pitch perfect. In this case it cearly heard and/or saw me before I could see/hear it. Like a game of cat and mouse, I followed it from a patch of woodlands near a marsh wetland towards a fairly busy road near the location and around to a prairie where it stood high and mighty as seen here. This lasted for a few minutes giving me enough time to fire off a round of photos, this particular being my favorite. By the time it took off again my heart was racing. The first time encountering a new bird species is always exciting to me. Although I stress that one should never put the welfare of the animal in danger, so chasing it like I did is not always the best: learn when to back down. As you can tell, the day was very cloudy and bland so the background gives the image a high key approach. Overall I am pleased with the outcome and perhaps more important the experience. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Red Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)
Fairborn Marsh, Fairborn, Ohio "Don't pack up your camera until you've left the location." - Joe McNally My first encounter with this species and my second raptor sighting (of a species other than Turkey Vultures at the time. I spent some time at the local marsh photographing this hawk after he/she made itself known. Commonly known as "marsh hawks" due to their preference for wetter habitats. This particular one was in a small patch of wet woods nearby. The almost 5 foot wingspan caught me off guard. In an attempt to observe it more closely, I carefully followed in the direction it left to. Fortunately it managed to perched on the top of a tree outside the woods as seen here. Out in the open, I carefully stood still and took my shots as it surveyed the scene before leaving minutes later. As you can see, the day was very cloudy. Not even cloudy but one of those "grey blob" skies with no end to it. To some extent I preferred this over a bright sunny day. The sun in theory would've caused lens flare and unattractive shadows on the hawk subject. The right leaning "heaviness" of the frame is applicable to the rule of the thirds. This composition also works if the image was used with a magazine publication cover (albeit flipped horizontally). Just ideas to keep in mind when shooting out in the field. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Red Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)
Beavercreek, Ohio "It is within nature that I simultaneously lose myself and find myself at the same time." One of my final captures of 2018 on a chilly December at high noon. This hawk was spotted in my backyard perched on the bird feeder poles I have set up. While this was my first glimpse of it, I am under the assumption that it flushed out any songbirds at the feeder a while before I found it. This is an image that I would've never of gotten if it weren't for my watchful brother. Another happy accident. I was about to take a shower when he yelled about a hawk in the backyard. Wearing the lightest of clothes and no socks or shoes. I rush into my living room office to grab my 150-600mm and a camera body. Without a second thought I rush to the back room and see it fly towards the next backyard away from ours. Though I was told the hawk had a mouse in its talons, I can't be too sure. In the next backyard it perched on this old installed pool fence where it gave me a nasty look and stayed around for a few minutes before taking off. Raptors come around my backyard from time to time like this. My brother can take all the credit for this one. One thing to note is the way the focus drops out in the background. To me this conveys the dizzying feeling I had trying to take the shot before it got away. I find the bokeh very pleasing in this application. Overall the complimentary earthtone colors work well. A lesson learned, be quick on your feet for any photo opportunity as they arise. Also it pays off to know your camera in hand and to know your gear and settings well enough to work under pressure. Without quick thinking of the dials and switches this would've been a blurry waste of an image. Knowledge is power. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
Woodman Fen, Dayton, Ohio "It's the beauty within us that makes it possible for us to recognize the beauty around us. The question is not what you look at but what you see." - Henry David Thoreau My first experience with a wild owl, this moment is forever a cornerstone in my time with photography. Having an apex predator such as this one be over a hundred feet up high in a tree, holding onto dinner in the form of a mammal. To see those yellow eyes intensely staring at me from that far away goes to show their efficient eyesight. After noticing this larger male, I began to see a single owlet nearby as it groveled for a meal. This individual was late in its development, looking almost ready to fully fledge. The owlet then began to stare me down from a distance as well. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
Woodman Fen, Dayton, Ohio "An owl is the wisest of all birds because the more it sees the less it talks." - Christie Watson This day was a highlight for my photography adventures. After being told of a possible nesting site at a nearby location the week before, I made sure to visit it before time was out. It was the end of April and most owlets have grown and left the nest. I set out in the afternoon to pre-scout the faily small fen for any possible trees high up in the canopy. Nothing came of luck even as I passed other visitors who echoed the same statements; the owls were still here. I went back to my car for a break, unsure of finding them later on. About 45 minutes before dusk, I set out one last time to make a loop trail hike around the fen. Within a couple minutes of this last effort, I see a massive wingspan of a possible raptor at least 80 feet high up through the trees. Their nests are typically up that high and so I mount my large telephoto lens and camera on the tripod to go to work. Their hearing is so precise that this one pretty quickly stared me down as seen here even from that far up and away. Viewing the eye contact through binoculars is enough to get your heart racing. For my first sighting of these apex predators, this was an intense one I am glad to have witnessed and photographed. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

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