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The King of Speed


The King of Speed
Photo Information
Copyright: Scott Evers (scottevers7) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2432 W: 3 N: 3894] (12309)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-10-28
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon 20D, Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM, B+W UV MRC
Exposure: f/11, 1/100 seconds
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-11-21 21:19
Viewed: 4088
Points: 80
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This shot was taken at the World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park , Missouri. The Peregrine Falcon has been featured numerous times on TN, and there are some superb shots from serveral members. I normally would try for a clean plain backround if possible, but the beautiful peak fall foliage of the hardwood forrest just begged me to create this bokeh backround. I am not sure I could paint a better bokeh if I tried.

I would like everyones opinion if they think it is distracting, or complimentary to the falcon.

Peregrine Falcon - Falco peregrinus

This is a medium-sized falcon about the size of a large crow: 38-53 cm (15 to 21 inches) long. The English and scientific species names mean "wandering falcon", and refer to the fact that some populations are migratory. It has a wingspan of about 1 metre (40 inches). Males weigh 570-710 grams; the noticeably larger females weigh 910-1190 grams.

The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest creature on the planet in its hunting dive, the stoop, in which it soars to a great height, then dives steeply at speeds in excess of 300 km/h (185mph) into either wing of its prey, so as not to harm itself on impact. Although not self-propelled speeds, due to the fact that the falcon gathers the momentum and controls its dive, capture (if any) and landing in its own right, technically there is no faster animal. The fastest speed recorded is 390 km/h (242.3mph). The fledglings practice the roll and the pumping of the wings before they master the actual stoop.

Peregrine Falcons live mostly along mountain ranges, river valleys, and coastlines and increasingly, in cities. They are widespread throughout the entire world and are found on all continents except Antarctica.


Peregrine Falcons feed almost exclusively on birds, such as doves, waterfowl and songbirds, but occasionally they hunt small mammals, including bats, rats, voles and rabbits. Insects and reptiles make up a relatively small proportion of their diet. On the other hand, a growing number of city-dwelling Falcons find that feral pigeons and Common Starlings provide plenty of food.

Peregrine Falcons breed at approximately two or three years of age. They mate for life and return to the same nesting spot annually. Their courtship flight includes a mix of aerial acrobatics, precise spirals, and steep dives. The male passes prey it has caught to the female in midair. To make this possible, the female actually flies upside-down to receive the food from the male's talons. Females lay an average clutch of three or four eggs in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, increasingly, on tall buildings or bridges. They occasionally nest in tree hollows or in the disused nest of other large birds.
marhowie, Dave, coasties, elefantino, miuky, dew77, ellis49, wallhalla15, greenpinkorange, jcoowanitwong, horia, RAP, keanhoon, Alex99, ramthakur, metcher, Silvio2006, saguzar, red45, jmp, manyee, loot, radz, greghume, CTP, ScottHale, jeanpaul has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To manyee: Your Inspirationscottevers7 1 11-23 21:44
To Dave: It is an addictionscottevers7 1 11-22 07:35
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Critiques [Translate]

Nicely done Scott.
Hey, I can see in that eye!
You nailed the exposure and color, without a doubt.. Very good detail, pose, POV, and composition in your portrait as well.
Lovely dappled BG colors too ;)

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2234 W: 188 N: 1912] (8073)
  • [2006-11-21 22:16]

Hi Scott.
great close up. Very nice focus on the eye and excellent sharp detail.
Great shot.
Sky

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2006-11-21 22:35]

Hello Scott

An awesome BG,with lovely autumnal tones.The subject ain't half bad either.Excellent DOF and razor sharp details.The plumage is amazing,and the eye is mesmerizing.A wonderful capture.TFS

Rob

  • Great 
  • Dave Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 503 W: 43 N: 657] (2178)
  • [2006-11-21 23:21]
  • [+]

Pretty handsome hawk there Scott!

The background works for me. The falcon's features are so striking, it would be hard to distract from the bird.

Very nice mf,

Dave

ps It never does end does it? I'm looking at other lens already. Who knows when or if I'll get them.

TFS...

Hi Scott

A lovely portrait! Nice pose and good sharp details. Nice catchlight in the eye, and that BG is fantastic! TFS MF.

Hi Scott, peregrine are really incredibles birds.
Nice portrait, excellent sharpness and details.
Andrea

  • Great 
  • miuky Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 17 W: 0 N: 17] (180)
  • [2006-11-22 2:09]

Hy Scott
wow...a statue to himself...great portret!:))
Good note too...
Regards, M.

Hi Scott,
this is a beautiful falcon and you have captured it great.
I like the POV and pose. Good details and very nice colours. This one is to fast for you, you never catch and give him a speeding ticket ;-)
Beautiful work, my friend.

Very nice portrait shot Scott, great sharpness and POV/DOF, well captured too. Great colours an very nice bg. This is an excellent compositon. Thank you for posting.
Gr.
Heinz

Great POV and details. could use a tad more sharpness in this pic but the DOP is good. Nice one.
STeph

Hi Scott,
Beautiful picture of this big bird. I like this natural background and it doesn't bother me at all. Composition, sharpness, and exposure are great. Very well done and TFS.
JC

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2158 W: 224 N: 4749] (16656)
  • [2006-11-22 4:21]

Hi Scott

Another superb portrait from you - this time this lovely Peregrine Falcon.
The POV and pose of this magnificent bird are splendid here. Also the colors in the entire frame are simply gorgeous - you did very good, INHO, to leave the original BG - it give a great depth and it ehnances the entire conmposition.
Also the details are very nice and clear and the fill of the flash very well controlled and used.

Bravo and TFS
Horia

lovely portrait shot,
nice pov, good dof, well composed,
tfs & regards
pankaj

bonjour scott
encore une magnifique photo,ce gros plan est tres net et j'aime la façon dont l'oiseau se tient,droit comme un I.
super.
laurent

  • Great 
  • RAP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2524 W: 345 N: 2373] (7405)
  • [2006-11-22 7:03]

Una estupenda captura Scott de esta maravillosa ave, con gran punto de vista que nos permite disfrutar de la belleza de su plumaje en todo su esplendor.
Apropiado DOF y foco que además brinda un fondo lo suficientemente difuso para resaltar la silueta del ave a la perfección.
Me encanta la elección del encuadre y el colorido logrado.
Un gran saludo y hasta la próxima... Ricardo

A stupendous capture Scott of this wonderful bird, with great point of view that allows us to enjoy the beauty of their plumage in all their splendor.
Appropriate DOF and focus that it also offers a backdrop the sufficiently diffuse thing to stand out the silhouette of the bird to the perfection.
I love the election of the framing and the achieved colors.
My best greetings and until the next one... Ricardo

Hi Scott,

This is an excellent portrait of a beautiful raptor! Technically I wasn't able to find a nit on this picture. In my opinion, a plain BG has the advantage of a better isolation of the subject but a picture is a combinaton of many other factors as well. Color is just one of them and your bokeh has brilliant colors. It doesn't distract from the falcon at all. I think both plain and colored BG would have yielded great results, just in a different way. Congratulations for this superb shot!

Regards,
Eddie

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4432 W: 248 N: 4028] (13270)
  • [2006-11-22 8:44]

Hello Scott,
Beautiful portrait of this Falcon.I liked POV,colors,blurred BG,catchlight in eyes,details and composition are wonderful.
Excellent work!
TFS..:-)

Scott,

the bg is not distracting at all,
I like the way it highlights the falcon,
which by the way is great,
very nice job,

fototab

Hi Scottvers,

Great DOF and sharpness. I like the colors of its feather with grey tone.
TFS.
Regards,
Ken

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4072 W: 133 N: 7096] (23735)
  • [2006-11-22 10:47]

Hi Scott.
Brilliant work I should and want to say. Great model and its pose, outstanding composition, tremendous reflection of feathers (I mean sharpness, details and colours), amazing colourful BG. Perfect lighting and contrast and etc. BRAVO. My congratulations.
Alexei.

The bokeh background is the soul of this magical shot, Scott.
Much has already been said about the excellence of this picture, so I will add my bit by saying that this image adds another jewel to the galaxy of your outstanding portfolio.
TFS and take care.
Ram

Hi, Scott.
Nice proud bird. Good composition and excellent quality on bird. Background is also very nice.

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3277 W: 148 N: 6163] (18832)
  • [2006-11-22 14:31]

The BG colours are really good Scott. The more you look into them the better it looks. So soft and subtly coloured, not too bright or dull. Yes, I'll accept it!
And the bird: good shot, the yellow around the eyes looks nice and eye-catching. The feather details are all nice and sharp, good job
Janice

Hi Scott, great details, great sharpness, optimal focus, beautiful colors, splendid photo with a very interesyting note, well done, ciao Silvio

Hi Scott,
Beautiful. Excellent portrait with nice colors, specially on background. Good note.
Cheers
Hernán

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2636 W: 74 N: 9091] (31094)
  • [2006-11-23 3:57]

Hi Scott!

Great shot of this Millenium Falcon :-) Proud bird, looks superb in this royal pose. Detailed, sharp, with your portrait in its eye. BG is masterpiece.

Hi Scott,
The BG is actually perfect. The warm colors of the fall colored leafs give the entire image such a great warm tone. The yellow in the BG also seems to bring out the yellow around he eye and on the beak. Exposure and sharpness are excellent and the fill in flash gave you great details. Can I see you and Scott in the reflection of his eye?
TFS,
Niek

:) tomorrow

Hello Scott,
I wonder if they also eat cats as one of mine disappeared last year without leaving any traces at all ;)

This is a beautiful capture Scott with excellent details and great POV. I like the fact that it is kind of a portrait and his pose is just wonderful as he looks so proud! This BG is very fine with me as it is the original one.

Your notes about them are very interesting. I know that in the region where I'm living there are some in the mountain and I guess I already saw them fly but I wasn't able to catch them in picture so far. As you say, those are very fast birds. Well done MF and TFS,
Claudine

  • Great 
  • jmp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1659 W: 95 N: 2273] (8415)
  • [2006-11-23 13:10]

Hi Scott,
Wonderful portrait. Exposure, composition, colors, details and background make an excellent shot!
TFS, José M.

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3089 W: 230 N: 6774] (23770)
  • [2006-11-23 18:21]
  • [+]

Hi Scott,
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
What a gorgeous peregrine.
A very impressive portrait.
Makes me think of those Egyptian hieroglyphics of Horus.
Beautiful details and pose.
TFS. : )

  • Great 
  • osse Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 955 W: 0 N: 89] (7805)
  • [2006-11-24 11:47]

Hi Scott
Good shot. Good colours, BG, sharpnes, details, light, DOF and POV.
Well done

osse

  • Great 
  • loot Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5524 W: 722 N: 4163] (11276)
  • [2006-11-24 12:00]
  • [2]

Hi Scott

Does it mean that you are faster than the 'King of Speed' as you passed it so quickly that it looks like it was sitting dead still?

While critiquing is subjective and beauty is in the eye of the beholder it nevertheless cannot overlook true magnificence. You have captured this raptor with such exquisite splendour that even a less attractive BG would not succeed to spoil this spectacle. Having said that, it does not mean to imply that the colourful potpourri is anything less than brilliant. To the contrary. It is a bit of an artwork in itself while it enhances and compliments the darker bird.

The composition is lovely with just the right margins and degree of cropping applied. The details are superb and the DOF really stretched the focal range. I just love the sharpness of the eye and the beak. The colours are rich, the exposure was spot-on, and the use of the full-in flash was well executed.

Great work and TFS.
Regards
Loot

Hello Scott,
A beautiful profile portrait!
I like the position of the wings, and the nice reflection in his eye...
Excellent details in the feather coat, good natural colours in this well framed image!
Greetings,
Pablo -

Hi Scott
Perfect! Your bokeh worksfor me to. Nothing can distract you with that eye looking at you. As always, beautifully sharp and detailed. Nice composition too. and thanks for the note.
TFS and cheers.
Franscois

  • Great 
  • radz Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 598 W: 11 N: 72] (436)
  • [2006-11-26 21:48]

Very nice portrait Scott...liked the POV,GOOD details.

Hello scott,

excellent work, Great dsetails, very crisp, nicly composed and capture photo, excellent colors, bg, POv DOF , excellent Job,

TFS kyle

Hi Scott
Well done portrait of the peregrine - sharp focus on the eye with a nice catchlight. DOF on subject is spot on and BG nicely blurred. Informative note.

  • Great 
  • CTP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 644 W: 6 N: 946] (2726)
  • [2006-11-29 16:13]

Hi Scott,
WoooW My friend.This is an awesome portrait.
I like your excellent pov,dof,focus,sharpness,blurred bg,colors,pose,note and Falcon's detail.TFS
Chris

Scott,
Excellent capture of an incredible bird. The BG rocks! The sharpness here is GREAT. I love the pose and the texture you captured of this guy's chest. Complete notes and superb post!
Scott

  • Great 
  • Adam73 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 208 W: 5 N: 522] (2253)
  • [2006-12-11 14:04]

One of my favorite birds. You have captured his beauty splendedly . I love the colors in the background as well. I have gotten one shot of this bird in the wild and I hesitated because I thought it was a pigeon :) But I still got the shot, a very bad one yet I got it. :)

Bonjour Scott
Une excellente prise en portrait que tu as réussi en captant ce beau faucon.Les couleurs sont justes et parfaitements exposées ainsi que les détails.. Félicitations pour la belle composition.

Merci et bravo et passe de belles fêtes...JP

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