Male Kestrel

I took this picture during the summer near my home in Berwickshire. I see the Kestrels most days around my home and have notices a perching spot for them. I some tines grab the camera and sit in the bushes and wait for a short time to see if one will come down and sit for a while

Sometimes you just get lucky

300mm f2.8 lens, f2.8, 1/320sec, ISO 200

Seems to me you've been making your own luck there Ron. Lovely portrait. The DoF keeps bringing me back.

Lovely image Ron, getting a shot like this it is not easy!!! The only crit would be the depth of field, I would have shot at something like f5.6 so that the whole bird and perch is in focus but again a great background for the bird.


liam.

Hi Ron, I would agree with the DoF comments to try and get the tail in focus too, but your processing is certainly getting a lot better, if still a little bright and wishy washy for me, at least those annoying halos have been sorted. There also looks as though there has been some cloning done where the branch bends, which spoils it.

Nits covered - there does look to be some incomplete cloning at the bottom left as well though which is a shame as the Kestrel's face is nice and sharp, and I like the position of the bird.

Its a beautiful pose and capture and shows terrific fieldcraft. The processing /cloning is easily fixed. I would have liked more depth of field to get the talons sharp.
Pete

A good portrait of a beautiful bird. I may be tempted to bring the blacks up a bit to give it more impact, but a good shot never the less.

It is really very beautiful, lovely colours and a lovely pose.

The 300 f/2.8 is the sharpest tool in Canon toolbox and probably the best IMHO. I am surprised about the quality of the image even at 2.8, however, it's a shame about the PP, as this is an excellent bird to photograph.

Re the comment 'The processing /cloning is easily fixed', Peter I for one would love to know how

Ron - any chance you could post the original ? The more I look at this image the more the top half appears divorced from the bottom ? Chrs, Graham.

Hi Ron.
The nits have been covered even if these old eyes can't see them.Ron i think this is a great shot.

Keith.

Ron - this is potentially a first-rate image. I also see the problems referred to above and I really hope you can fix them. The bird looks great, but there is something very wrong with the perch. Not sure what the original looked like, but I wonder if you have just overdone the cloning? I think it is a real shame because you have been posting some wonderful shots recently and I do hope you will see this as constructive. I'm sure you will get a lot of help with this if you let us know what you did.

Hi Ron,


excellent shot

Any nits as to cloning and processing already covered. I too would like to see the original

Lots of potential here Ron as already stated, some lovely colours. Worth spending the time on some careful processing I'd say.

Simon