JPG Magazine: Stories: Photo Essay: Looking into the eyes of magnificent killers!

Looking into the eyes of magnificent killers!

By Jason Watt

19 February 2008

Firstly fellow snappers, I really hope the piercing eyes of these 'assassins of the air' fill you with a tremendous sense of edgy respect. Some of their wingspans reach 6-7 feet...and as for their pin sharp talons and beaks.....chilling. Hitchcock really didn't do them the justice their tremendous menace and electric reactions deserve.

So how was I inspired to take these pictures of them.....let me tell you a little story.....

Since the birth of my son, Cedar, in June '05 I rekindled my love of taking photographs. Taking many shots on my various cameraphones. Allied with my professional Photoshop skills, they quickly became essential tools for capturing 'The moment'. ( Just look at the way they are changing photojournalism forever! But that's another essay.) I was satisfied with my photography for quite a while. (see examples in My photos)

Then....in November '07 I bought my first DSLR. I placed my faith (and a few quid) in Nikon's seasoned hands....before any of the reviews came out!

I was not disappointed. Their D300, put a smile on my face, and an amazing tool in my eager hands. After one shot, my photographic desire became insatiable. It is a joy to use. Immediately I realised I was holding the key to many fabulous new experiences. To know I could properly capture the world as I see it, with real intent and with so much more control than ever before, was so exciting.

Loads of shots later, and after testing my camera out during every spare moment a new Dad is 'allowed' to, I heard through the loose lipped family grapevine, that my wife's father, Steve (an avid bird photographer) was going to gift me his 'old' lens, a Sigma 135-400mm f4.5-5.6 D APO for Christmas. Lucky boy, you think!

Now, up untiI then I had thoroughly enjoyed his photographs of our feathered friends for years. On his many 'expeditions', he has captured the everyday to the exotic in all their native habitats. As he is an artist as well as a keen birder, his pictures are both interesting, and revealing. Consequently, I understood his use of the long lens but didn't envisage myself really needing it much. So I was not as excited at such a fine piece of kit as I probably should have been. ( Yes I have been known to look a 'gift horse in the mouth'!)

Regardless, after seeing his bird prints on the in-laws walls regularly, I noticed very quickly that each bird had real character and asked him if he had ever imagined producing larger than life portraits of these inspirational creatures. But his aspirations were not along those lines and so we never chatted about it again.

Come the 25th....as the Ratpack sang their suave yuletide favourites...Cedar was buried past his waist in wrapping paper, and Santa was putting his feet up by the fire on the ranch in Lapland, under Steve's not so casual gaze, I was lining up the dots to get that heavy lump of glass connected to my camera. Well, as soon as I looked through it my perspective changed completely. A quick glance through the focal range revealed a world of possibility, now I could shoot long distance AND close up! That was it, I was hooked and Steve and I were chatting away like mad. That is, up until we were told by the rest of the family to concentrate on the opening up of all the 'other' presents. Which strangely I can't seem to recall now at all.

So I ask you....where does a married man go, with his wife and child and get away with taking close ups of fabulous 'birds' with a long lens?....no not from the dunes above the nearest nudist beach......but to a delightful falconry centre in the heart of the Cotswolds. Obviously, I wanted to take those larger than life portraits I had imagined those many moons previously. I know it is not as pure as shooting in the wild. But it is accessible and inexpensive and I hope you'll agree, very worthwhile.

My next challenge is capturing the birds during flight demonstrations. I look forward to your comments on those, and these photos.

Oh, and one last question for you. Where do you think the professional bird photographer's get most of their commissioned shots out of migration season, and by Friday's deadline?