Barbara Mallon
July 2026 - Are You My Mother?
About the Image(s)
I was walking at the local park and someone pointed out the Red tail Parent at the top of a tree. I quickly went and got my camera. The parent was a fine picture but the juvenile in the pine tree was better. It won 1st place in the Camera Club. I took it with a 200-800 mirrorless lens with an r5 Mark2 camera. F9, 1000th sec, and mot sure why no ISO listed in Bridge.
4 comments posted
Barbara, this is undeniably an extremely engaging image and perhaps your best submission ever. You go girl! The perspective is wonderful and immediately grabs attention. We rarely see a raptor chick photographed from essentially eye level and from behind, looking back over its shoulder. The direct eye contact is almost anthropomorphic-it gives the bird a curious, almost mischievous expression that invites the viewer to linger. From an impact and visual-interest standpoint, it works.
Personally, I like this image a lot. It isn't a great storytelling image, but it is a terrific character study. The perspective is so uncommon that the image has an immediate - I've never seen a raptor photographed quite this way before - quality, and that alone that deserves a first-place award.
One item of improvement - you might consider reducing the amount of canvas taken up by the massive log occupying the bottom third of the frame - it just feels a bit heavy vis-à-vis the subject. Nonetheless, the unusual perspective and personality are certainly memorable - a most fortuitous capture :-)
Posted: 07/01/2026 22:19:20
Personally, I like this image a lot. It isn't a great storytelling image, but it is a terrific character study. The perspective is so uncommon that the image has an immediate - I've never seen a raptor photographed quite this way before - quality, and that alone that deserves a first-place award.
One item of improvement - you might consider reducing the amount of canvas taken up by the massive log occupying the bottom third of the frame - it just feels a bit heavy vis-à-vis the subject. Nonetheless, the unusual perspective and personality are certainly memorable - a most fortuitous capture :-)
Posted: 07/01/2026 22:19:20
Congratulation on winning first place, well deserved. What a nice person to point out the bird nest to you, and fortunate that you had a camera with big telephoto close by. The head and eyes are very sharp and the background blurry. I do like the crop that Butch made. Posted: 07/03/2026 18:52:40
The log in the foreground acts as a distraction.Partially removing it by cropping (Butch has done the job) improves the overall image. The eyes are sharp and the background blurry. Nice shot! Posted: 07/06/2026 15:23:54
Such a nice pic! What a character! Love it! I also really like the log in the foreground exactly as it is. It pushes the chick into the centre of the frame, which is where it ought to be, and emphasizes the perspective. Maybe a bit more sharpening would help in some of the feather areas? But brilliant shot! Fab! Posted: 07/14/2026 11:05:41