Kestrel

This was a most obliging Kestrel, he posed for about five minutes on a tree branch and enabled me to get quite a few shots in. Half an hour later, he was on the beach, and seemed relatively unconcerned about my approach (on hands and knees)
C & C welcome.
7d 400mm f5.6
ISO 250
F9
1/2000
EV-0.67EV

hey kim hands and knees now you go easy.Male kestrels are super looking birds you have got a great image of this one.
Keith.

Hi Kim
Unusual setting for a Kestrel.
Tried a vertical ? Makes it big in frame but gives a bit of impact.
JR

Kim

Impressive colours throughout smashing image. Looks as if the Kestrel was wishing it had a camera.

Hi Kim, firstly congratulation on nailing this one too, you have lady luck on your side it seems and you 'commando' crawl has paid off.

Firstly I would like to have seen this posted bigger, partly for presentation and to do yourself justice. Personally I'm not a big fan of the stones in the FG and therefore if you were able to move perhaps more to your left giving more access to view the bird might have been better? In doing so the head-on position of the Kestrel again might have been better as it would not have included the OOF tail feathers and given, as I say a more of a 'portrait look & feel, hopefully including those lovely feet too. Based on the colouration of the stones & BKG I just wonder if there is just a hint of green coming through, but that is just a personal observation. I think also you could get away with a hint more selective sharpening, especially in the chest plumage. I would also look at the RAW to try and get some more detail/clarity our of the eye rather than just a solid black. Having looked at it there is some lovely chestnut colouring & form, even at that size.

All the best.

TFS
Steve

Lucky so and so, very nice image and the stones bother me not a jot.

Thanks for the comments, Steve I will upload a larger picture next time. Don't do Raw because since I changed to 7d photoshop CS3 wont convert for me. It was difficult for me to choose a position to take the bird, this is the last one I got - then he flew off -but it does have his feet in!!!!

This has very little editing, crop and slight sharpening. The sun was very strong and reflecting off the vast expanse of sand
. When I first posted I did prefer the other angle and the horizontal view. I quite liked the stones too - but it is all subjective and all advice is more than welcome

Hi Kim. A cracking shot of one of my favourite UK birds. The setting on the beach is very unusual for a kestrel and so for me the stones are an important part of that. For this reason I much prefer the first pano shot and of course the eye is a lot better

I would love to see a larger image as it looks very sharp small

Regarding the RAW. You should shoot everything in RAW now! Then you will have a library of RAW files for when you do buy the latest Lightroom or PS. In the meantime you can use Canons DPP to convert the RAW to Tiff or Jpeg

Bob

Two cracking shots, I think I actually prefer the first one even though the second is a better composition.

David

Two excellent shots of a Kestrel in an unusual setting. Both images are equally as good in detail and comp but I agree with others and like the first post a smidgen more...it feels more intimate somehow if that makes sense?

Nick.

Kim i must say i prefer the first post i understand about the bits of the bird that are missing ie feet and tail but still think its the one for me.
Keith