Euless Hawk: The Story Behind the Photo

By Mangesh Sangapu

Euless Hawk by Mangesh Sangapu

The first time I saw this hawk, it was on my porch lunching on a gecko. I tried to save the  gecko but the bird flew away with its meal.

I saw this bird a few times since, but it’s been too far away. I solved the distance problem by getting a Sigma 710mm, but I never expected to get such a close-up.

I was bird-watching from our back window and to my amazement, it came out of  nowhere and landed on a tree close to our home. I hastily grabbed my camera and quietly opened the back door. I took this picture just as the hawk became aware of my presence. It flew away moments later.

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April Showers Bring May … Awards?

Fair-weather photographers may only get fair, average images. But rainy days offer
opportunities just dripping with potential. Technically, May is the wettest month in
Texas, but April will give you plenty of practice. Here are a few things to consider:

Pack your tripod

Photo by Frida Bredesen from Unsplash.com

As Captain Obvious will tell you, rain comes from clouds, which also tend to block light. And increasing your depth of field will help capture raindrops but will require a slower shutter speed (or higher ISO). You’ll want a tripod. It can hold your camera while you hold an umbrella.

Cover yourself

Shooting in the rain is a lot more fun if you stay warm and dry. Make use of natural weather barriers like awnings, walls, and cars. Umbrellas are tricky to handle, but they can double as a prop to help tell the story of your image. Try to keep the wind at your back (unless you want a wet lens).

Cover your camera

Rain covers cost as little as $7, a small price to pay to keep moisture out of your camera. And make sure the inside of your bag is dry before you put the camera away.

Light it up

Often rain will not show up in your image unless there is a strong light source in front or back of it, so position yourself accordingly.

Freeze the rain

Crank up your shutter speed to at least 1/250. Try popping a weak flash into the rain, like -2 or -3 stops, to light it up a bit.

Create a curtain

Slow your shutter speed down to about 1/15 or 1/30 and you’ll paint more of a downpour feeling.

After the storm

Photo by Steve Halama from Unsplash.com

You don’t have to go out in the rain to get a great shot. Wait till it passes, then go see if you can catch a rainbow. Post-storm puddles create little mirrors that reflect light,  architecture, and people.

Happy shooting! And remember, our July competition theme is “All Wet.”