![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/american-kestrel-0983-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"american-kestrel-0983-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nBackgrounds matter.<\/p>\n
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1\/6400, 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 Yesterday morning this male American Kestrel gave me fits. After each hunting foray he kept returning to the same perch or another perch very close by but each one presented problems including poor light angles, approaching traffic and obstacles between me and the bird. Maneuvering my pickup to get into better position before he flew off again was always a tricky and delicate operation.<\/p>\n In most ways this shot tickles my fancy. For my tastes the light angle is just about perfect, casting just enough shadow on his belly and breast to make the lighting interesting but still providing plenty of detail there. He’s sharp throughout, I have light in his eye and the blood and prey bits on his bill are perfectly appropriate for such a fierce little falcon.<\/p>\n But it’s the colors of the layered\/banded background in combination with the colors of the bird that I enjoy most. They’re so closely matched they almost seem to be hand picked but I assure you it’s just marsh with standing water back there with no manipulation from me during processing.<\/p>\n For me the complementary colors of background and bird more than make up for the less than ideal unnatural perch.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Backgrounds matter.<\/p>\n