Predators

I absolutely love the narrative in this image. Your shot brings to mind a Jurassic Park-esque tale of a predator on the hunt, reminding me of the raptor's therapod ancestors. A Cooper's hawk is an accipiter, an especially deadly genus of birds of prey, known for their great agility on the wing and taste for the flesh of other birds. I can't think of a more compelling subject matter for a contest highlighting predators! This shot is very creative, beautiful, and well composed. I love the light play of the dark trees and the glow of the forest behind- all with that characteristic piercing red accipiter eye. Lovely work, thank you for sharing!!

This striking portrait sure is captivating! The flared nape-feathers of this eagle bring to mind the mental image of a male lion. These gorgeous birds of prey are perfect predators- graceful and deadly, a coiled spring of energy ready to launch at any moment. I think the muted, dark background here really helps highlight the intensity of your subject's gaze. This is a gorgeous portrait of a beautiful animal, great work!

This stunning portrait of a hammerhead stood out to me for several reasons. It is gorgeous in its understatement- a graceful, almost silhouetted curve to her figure implies fluid effortless movement through the waters. I love the light coming in from one side of the image and fading to darkness on the other. This species cruises low over the sands often to kick up resting stingrays and skates- so it is entirely possible that her movements here are quite intentional. The shark is the prototype of the perfect predator- though they are of little danger to humans, and just another beautiful animal we coexist with on earth. I think your treatment of this image is absolutely stunning!