Northern Harrier takeoff, #0
Let’s take a step back. To be more precise, let’s step back exactly two frames. See, the last two photographs I posted were takeoff flight shots #1 and #2, in sequential order. But this here photograph is rightfully #0, the moment right before flight.
This photograph also represents my reaction time. I had been standing with my lens pointed at the harrier for, oh, about 4 minutes. I knew she wouldn’t stay there long, particularly with a Red-tailed Hawk active in the marsh not far away. So if you are like me, you dial in a shutter speed of 1/3200 and stand at the ready, eye pressed to the viewfinder, right thumb pressing the back button focus button, right index finger gently resting on the shutter button. Waiting, waiting, waiting, and watching the bird just sit there, looking around, preening, looking around. Sometimes a bird will give you a signal that it is about to fly, usually by dropping ballast (also known as taking a shit). But not this time. She went from nonchalantly looking around to taking off without any warning. And this photograph represents how long it took me to recognize the motion and press the shutter button.
Northern Harrier takeoff, #0
Let’s take a step back. To be more precise, let’s step back exactly two frames. See, the last two photographs I posted were takeoff flight shots #1 and #2, in sequential order. But this here photograph is rightfully #0, the moment right before flight.
This photograph also represents my reaction time. I had been standing with my lens pointed at the harrier for, oh, about 4 minutes. I knew she wouldn’t stay there long, particularly with a Red-tailed Hawk active in the marsh not far away. So if you are like me, you dial in a shutter speed of 1/3200 and stand at the ready, eye pressed to the viewfinder, right thumb pressing the back button focus button, right index finger gently resting on the shutter button. Waiting, waiting, waiting, and watching the bird just sit there, looking around, preening, looking around. Sometimes a bird will give you a signal that it is about to fly, usually by dropping ballast (also known as taking a shit). But not this time. She went from nonchalantly looking around to taking off without any warning. And this photograph represents how long it took me to recognize the motion and press the shutter button.