Northern Raven Portraits

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cr_wildlife

cr_wildlife

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Just for fun, here are three Northern Raven portraits. I was taking photographs on a well used trial on a cliff edge above the ocean. The ravens are, thus, reasonably habituated to the presence of people. I was actually there to shoot peregrine falcons that nest in the cliffs. While waiting for the falcons to appear, a pair of Norther Ravens flew in and perched on a fence post. I was shooting at 1600mm (!)(800mm PF and Z 2.0x TC), as the falcons are often far away. Thus, I could only get portraits of the ravens as they were so close. In the first portrait, the raven is calling to its partner, the second portrait is with the head turned, and the third portrait is a profile shot. I did not do well with the peregrines (the teleconverter on the 800mm really slows down AF speed, and the f stop is f/13 wide open!), but I am pretty happy with these shots. I am always somewhat surprised to see how colorful the ravens look, with purple iridescence in their feathers, as they always look pure black when they fly by. As an aside, I did not alter the color in these shots in any way. I do love the feathers that extend over the upper beak!
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Woody Meristem said:
Excellent photos. Ravens are wonderful birds, probably the most intelligent and comparable to dogs. Take a look at Bernd Heinrich's book, The Mind of the Raven.
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Thanks so much, Woody. As a parrot fanatic, I am biased towards parrots being the smartest birds, but, in truth, it depends on the test used to define intelligence. If you want to see something amusing, search on YouTube for Alex, parrot and watch the videos.
 
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Thanks, Mark! The Z TC2x really slows down the autofocus and the f/13 is a problem for BIF shots, even in full sun. Also, watch out for the apparent increase in heat distortion, as you are looking through a lot of air when the subject is so far way. However, as these shots demonstrate, overcast day, close subject can be really sharp.
M R Opp said:
Excellent work! I'm impressed with the IQ when in combo with the 2x TC. I have put the 1.4x on my 800, but never tried the 2x. Now, I'll have to give it a go....
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