{"id":54877,"date":"2018-11-04T05:47:18","date_gmt":"2018-11-04T12:47:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=54877"},"modified":"2026-01-21T13:41:53","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T19:41:53","slug":"red-tailed-hawk-in-morning-light-wasatch-mountains-in-the-shadows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/11\/04\/red-tailed-hawk-in-morning-light-wasatch-mountains-in-the-shadows\/","title":{"rendered":"Red-tailed Hawk In Morning Light – Wasatch Mountains In The Shadows"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Red-tailedRed-tailed Hawk in sunshine with mountains in the shadows – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the years that I have been a bird photographer I have learned that I positively adore the rare occasions I have when my subject is lit up by early morning or late afternoon light and is in front of mountains, trees or vegetation that are in the shadows because of the high contrast and the punch the resulting images have.<\/p>\n

Yesterday morning for a few moments I had one of those opportunities with a Red-tailed Hawk perched on top of some trees in East Canyon where the mountains in the background where still in the shadows and because of that the bird seemed to glow. The Red-tailed Hawk glowed on my camera LCD and on my monitor at home like a beacon against the shadowed mountains in the background.<\/p>\n

Even when the Red-tailed Hawk was just perched on the tops of the tree there seemed to be a quiet drama to the photo that wouldn’t have been there if the mountains in the background had been lit up by the morning sun.<\/p>\n

\"Red-tailedRed-tailed Hawk lifting off in front of mountains in shadows – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately the Red-tailed Hawk<\/span><\/a> turned before it lifted off so I don’t have a good view of its face or eyes in this photo but I wanted to include it in this post too because of the way the hawk’s wings lined up and how beautifully the hawk was lit up.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Red-tailed Hawk photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

A few other images with similar lighting conditions:<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Male<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\"American<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\"Snowy<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\"Ring-billed<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\"Dark<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\"White<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\"Wood<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/div>
<\/i><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday morning for a few moments I had one of those opportunities with a Red-tailed Hawk perched on top of some trees in East Canyon where the mountains in the background where still in the shadows and because of that the bird seemed to glow. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":139136,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,5921,4594,449,26,773],"tags":[2663,4170,2497,5725,6870,6845,1043,4169,2386,4944,4204,6871,4104,153,4209,4677,619,30],"class_list":["post-54877","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-east-canyon","category-morgan-county","category-red-tailed-hawks","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-buteo-jamaicensis","tag-buteos","tag-contrast","tag-darkness","tag-east-canyon","tag-exposure","tag-hawks","tag-hawks-of-utah","tag-lifting-off","tag-light","tag-morgan-county","tag-perched","tag-raptors","tag-red-tailed-hawk","tag-shadows","tag-sunshine","tag-utah-2"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-mountain-light-mia-mcpherson-5757.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-eh7","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":54898,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/11\/06\/immature-red-tailed-hawk-at-east-canyon-state-park\/","url_meta":{"origin":54877,"position":0},"title":"Immature Red-tailed Hawk at East Canyon State Park","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 6, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I was able to photograph two immature Red-tailed Hawks at East Canyon State Park and the photos I am sharing today are of the first one that I found.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature Red-tailed Hawk in flight at East Canyon State Park, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-immature-flight-mia-mcpherson-5961.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-immature-flight-mia-mcpherson-5961.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-immature-flight-mia-mcpherson-5961.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-immature-flight-mia-mcpherson-5961.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":54625,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/10\/16\/autumn-east-canyon-red-tailed-hawk-adults\/","url_meta":{"origin":54877,"position":1},"title":"Autumn East Canyon Red-tailed Hawk Adults","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I saw a low of 15\u00b0F yesterday morning up in the East Canyon of the Wasatch Mountains and I also saw plenty of Red-tailed Hawk adults perched in trees and flying along the way.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"East Canyon Red-tailed Hawk adult, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-mia-mcpherson-1508.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-mia-mcpherson-1508.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-mia-mcpherson-1508.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-mia-mcpherson-1508.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":97676,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/11\/27\/immature-red-tailed-hawk-perched-in-front-of-the-wasatch-mountains\/","url_meta":{"origin":54877,"position":2},"title":"Immature Red-tailed Hawk Perched In Front Of The Wasatch Mountains","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 27, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I photograph tons of Red-tailed Hawks. I have shared more Red-tailed Hawk articles on my blog and images in my photo galleries than any other birds species.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature Red-tailed Hawk perched in front of the Wasatch Mountains, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/red-tailed-hawk-immature-branches-mia-mcpherson-7729.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/red-tailed-hawk-immature-branches-mia-mcpherson-7729.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/red-tailed-hawk-immature-branches-mia-mcpherson-7729.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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