![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/american-kestrel-5383-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"american-kestrel-5383-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nA little too much of a good thing?<\/p>\n
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1\/2500, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n Four days ago I spotted this male American Kestrel on\u00a0some rocks at Farmington Bay\u00a0before the sun\u00a0came up over the mountains so he was still in shade until just before\u00a0I pulled up on him in my pickup.\u00a0So this\u00a0shot was taken almost immediately after sunrise which is why the light is so incredibly warm. It was fun to catch him on rocks instead of the unnatural perches they usually\u00a0seem to\u00a0prefer and it was cold enough that he was “sticky” so he allowed me a close approach. He was also\u00a0turned nicely into the light.<\/p>\n The sky is the color it is because of all the moisture in the air in the cold temperature (18 degrees F. if I remember correctly)\u00a0with the sun so low on the horizon.<\/p>\n Lots of things went right for this photo\u00a0but… I’m undecided about that very warm light. Typically I love warm light when I’m photographing birds unless my subject is black or black and white (for example I don’t think magpies are enhanced by warm light) but the warmth of the light on this occasion might be just a little too intense, especially given the reds and yellows of both\u00a0the rocks and the kestrel which are warm colors to begin with.<\/p>\n I’m wondering what my readers think. I could play around with color temperature adjustments in Photoshop (which I have no major\u00a0objection to doing) but these colors were natural so I’d rather leave them be if it’s not necessary. And since I’m undecided – a little help from my friends? Perhaps I’m seeing a potential problem where there isn’t one.\u00a0It wouldn’t be the first time.<\/p>\n If you’re wondering why I don’t post a color temperature-adjusted version of the image for comparison it’s because I’d prefer to know whether you like the photo or not without the comparison. If it isn’t necessary I’d rather not fiddle-fart\u00a0around\u00a0with the image because I’m not very good at\u00a0that kind of thing since I have very little experience doing it. I almost never do color adjustments –\u00a0in large part\u00a0because of my intense aversion to unnaturally oversaturated images which are more common on the internet than mosquitoes on a horse’s belly near a creek\u00a0on a warm spring evening.<\/p>\n If you decide to tell me what you think about the color temperature in particular, please be perfectly honest. Too warm? Or not? Of course I’d appreciate knowing what you think about the image for reasons unrelated to color temperature too.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n PS – Just prior to publishing this post I’m now wondering if I’m overreacting to the warm light because in my eye it’s been\u00a0intensified by the contrast of the very cool blues in the background? I dunno, I’m out of my league here and\u00a0very possibly\u00a0overthinking the image…<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A little too much of a good thing?<\/p>\n