Red Tail on the Hunt

red tail hawk flies toward the camera in a sequence of images

The photographs in the slider above show a beautiful juvenile red tail hawk. I sat with my lens pointed waiting and waiting and waiting for her to do something. Two photographers came, also waited, gave up, and left. My neck got a crick in it and my arms felt like they might fall off.

Obviously there’s a lesson there about showing up and how things don’t emerge immediately when the artist sets out to create something.

In wildlife photography this is always the case. The cranes stop dancing as you roll up in your car. They start dancing as soon as you put your camera down. So much is dependent upon being in the right place at the right time, which is why showing up consistently is key to being there when all the elements “magically” come together.

The red tail in these shots seemed to fly right into my lens, soaring right over the hood of my car and then grabbing a rodent of some sort. Just like me, she was hungry, watching and waiting for the right moment to strike.

What are you hungry enough for that you’re willing to stand watch over and over again for? What’s worth your wait?