This shot from yesterday morning came very close to being one of my favorite kestrel photos of all time.
1/8000, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, canvas added for composition, not baited, set up or called in
We found this lovely female American Kestrel perched near the top of a small tree in good light and at a reasonable distance for both perched and takeoff shots but it just wasn’t my day for bird photography. None of my shots of her in the tree were sharp enough. That just happens sometimes and often it’s for no reason that’s easily understood. It was a very cold morning and I was shooting from inside my warm pickup so it may have been caused by atmospheric conditions related to variable temps, heat waves from my pickup or something else. And my luck was about to get even worse.
As you can see from my image techs my camera settings weren’t appropriate for the situation so for less than a second I took my finger off of the shutter button to change them. Naturally she chose that exact moment to take off so I missed those takeoff shots. When this photo was taken I’d barely had time to return my finger to the shutter button and she was gaining air speed so I was trying to catch up to her again with my lens.
I think there’s lots of things to like about this photo. I love her flight posture with the flared tail, I have great light on her with eye contact and a catch light, I like the shadows of her flight feathers on the side of her breast and belly and we can still see the tip of the terminal branch of the tree she took off from.
But the most important parts of her are soft, in part because I was still trying to catch up to her with my lens. Her tail is sharp but her head isn’t. Sharpness might look almost acceptable at this low resolution but I had to double my typical amount of sharpening during processing to make the image look as good as it does and her head is still much too soft. At higher resolution it looks even worse. Because of clouds and bad weather she was my first opportunity for interesting shots in many days and I screwed it up so this one hurts.
I know, I know – there isn’t a bird photographer on the planet that something like this doesn’t happen to on a semi-regular basis. But knowing I have company doesn’t make me feel any better.
And besides, bellyaching can be cathartic.
Ron
I think this is the most dramatic American Kestrel image I’ve seen. The shadows cast by the wings behind her head had me going back again and again until I finally figured out that they were shadows. I kept thinking they were ripples in the feathers. I think it’s known as an Alzheimer’s effect.
Lyle, as I mentioned I actually like those shadows of her primaries. I think they add interest to the image.
Ron, sorry you didn’t get the photo you wanted, but this one is great in my eyes. It is almost like the kestrel is smiling at you and saying hello. Thank you for sharing this beautiful photo, Ron
I’m glad you like it, Alice. Thanks.
Love the way her wings frame her face so well.
I totally get the “missed it by that much” feeling. Of course, to stay in step with EC, I can offer you a little cheese to go with that whine. 😉
I’ll take sharp cheddar, Marty. The “sharp” part might help. No limburger please, the softness of that image already stinks enough… 🙂
Another missed it by that much moment for you, Ron. 😉 Finished my good, extra sharp Cheddar over the weekend. I can offer you some Wensleydale with cranberries or a little Stilton. feta, or a nice, young Swiss. However, not sure how they’ll travel.
Here’s what a little research has turned up, though. 🙂 https://wayfaringviews.com/5-things-salt-lake-city-love-cheese/
Luck so rarely is a lady. Give us this day our daily whinge is one of my mantras.
That said, she is beautiful, and I envy you the chance to see her.
“Give us this day our daily whinge is one of my mantras”
EC, I hate to admit it but apparently it’s also one of mine.
Even when you pointed out softness of the head I could not see the issue. Your photos are just beautiful. Sunday early morning I looked out my window toward the golf course and spied what I am sure was a female Kestrel sitting on the fairway with her breakfast. It was starting to get light and I couldn’t see great detail but I’m sure I identified her correctly. Watching birds is a great exercise.
Betty, at this resolution the softness isn’t nearly as evident as it is in larger versions of the image. Believe me, it’s there.
I hate when that happens!! But it is a nice photo to look at just to see how beautiful the bird is. Thanks for sharing it.
Thanks, Joanne.
EGADS Ron! Just because I haven’t been around lately (I’ve been watching but not commenting–hands too painful) does NOT mean you’re allowed to pick so many nits! Jeesh! I’d just about kill to have caught an image like that, but I’m lucky to get a snapshot with my phone!! I mean, really! Yes, I really GET the perfectionist thing, but sometimes it can get on my last damn nerve 😉
OK, I’m sorry for bellyaching back atcha, but sometimes it just MUST be done LOL! Yes, I really do get the perfectionist thing. I do. And yes, I LOVE your photography, perfect or not. It’s a wonderful beginning to my day! Your images bring me joy, no matter the species (well unless you start with starlings…LOL!)!
Thank you, Laura. I have to pick nits because publishers don’t like to buy soft images. And I don’t blame them.
Ron, you are of course a perfectionist and I guess that is why you have such a collection of amazing photos, but there are thousands of amateur bird photographers such as me who look at a photo like this in absolute envy. Gorgeous Kestrel and great photo especially under the circumstances you illustrate. Yesterday afternoon I got some great photos of a female eagle landing on the top of a big snag tree shortly followed by the male. Took about 60 or more shots, but then got greedy thinking I needed to move in a little closer, and of course as soon as I did that Murphy showed up and they both flew off leaving me ticked off for missing a dual takeoff.
Yes, we all have Murphy stories to tell. But some of them sting worse than others.
My eyes are not nearly as “sharp” as yours. This photo looks terrific to me at this resolution! What a pretty lady.
Sadly my eyes aren’t so sharp anymore, Nancy.
Neat photo! Love the ‘archangel wings’. She certainly has you in her site. I’ve struggled with that opposite temperature thing so many times…and I’ve found no solution to it. It took me a long time to figure out what the cause was. Once had a rough legged give me so many poses and I could not get a sharp photo that I swear if finally flew off in disgust. Those extremes get you in the winter when you’re sitting in the car. I’ve even sat with freezing fingers by not running my heater while driving to no avail…sometimes you just can’t get it right! 😫
Kathy, I struggled with that temperature thing again this morning. And once again came out holding the short end of the stick.
I Love it! 🙂 Beautiful capture even if you were struggling at the moment 🙂 It captures the reality of the bird. Yes, bellyaching can be cathartic and then on to what’s next…….. Doing the wind thing this morning – hopefully it will clear the icy roads!
Thanks, Judy. Too bad most folks don’t fully understand when you and I say “the wind thing). 🙂