American Kestrel

[James Babbitt]

This bird was photographed at Battiste B&B in Hereford AZ in January of this year. There is a small photography blind in the back yard with seed and suet feeders. This pocket falcon showed up and every other bird disappeared. He was very cooperative and sat about 20' away for several minutes. This shot was taken with a Canon 5D4, a 500 mm II lens + a 1.4 extender off a tripod. ISO 3200, f/8.0, SS 1/500. It was shortly after dawn and was dark. Very little post processing was done, with minor cropping and darkening of the cut end of the post he is perched on. I used Topaz Denoise AI to reduce the noise. I do not know what the specular highlights are. There was a large oak tree about 20 feet behind the bird which comprises the background.

[Aditya Sridhar]

Hi James! Welcome to the Avian forum :wave:

There's a lot to like about this image. You've captured some nice detail, the background's excellent, and I love the bird's pose. In terms of changes that I'd suggest, there are a few minor tweaks that you could make to enhance the image.

1) I think the boxy crop works, but I find the tail too close to the edge of the frame. If you have the space, I'd consider shifting the bird a hair to the right.

2) The image is too cool and I'd definitely warm it up. Just to get started, I'd place the WB dropper tool on the white patch of the bird's cheek to get a reference WB and work from there.

3) I'd also add a touch of contrast and saturation to elevate the frame as I find it slightly flat - easy fix.

Very nicely done overall! I think with some careful processing this could be made even better as you have a solid base to work with. TFS and looking forward to more!

[Daniel Cadieux]

Hi James, that is a very beautiful subject! I like how you got it looking towards us here. Good details and colour, but yes I agree it was too cold, with Aditya's repost bringing it some nice warmth. Yes to more room if you have it as well. The sawed-off part of the perch is not ideal, but the rest of it is good and gnarly. The highlights in the BG are OK with me - blurred enough to make them as interesting rather than distracting. Good stuff overall!

[James Babbitt]

Thank you so much for looking and making suggestions. I agree with you-your warmer picture is better! Unfortunately, I had too much lens-the bird was only about 18-20 feet away (I was primarily taking shots of Yellow-rumped Warblers, a much smaller bird). That partially explains the boxy crop. The second reason was a feeder post just to the right of the Kestrel. I will experiment with the RAW photo and see if I can get a little more room.

Hi James! Welcome to the Avian forum :wave:

There's a lot to like about this image. You've captured some nice detail, the background's excellent, and I love the bird's pose. In terms of changes that I'd suggest, there are a few minor tweaks that you could make to enhance the image.

1) I think the boxy crop works, but I find the tail too close to the edge of the frame. If you have the space, I'd consider shifting the bird a hair to the right.

2) The image is too cool and I'd definitely warm it up. Just to get started, I'd place the WB dropper tool on the white patch of the bird's cheek to get a reference WB and work from there.

3) I'd also add a touch of contrast and saturation to elevate the frame as I find it slightly flat - easy fix.

Very nicely done overall! I think with some careful processing this could be made even better as you have a solid base to work with. TFS and looking forward to more!

[James Babbitt]

Thank you for looking. I made an attempt to make the background more uniform but failed miserably. I appreciate your thoughts about the highlights. Makes me feel better.

Hi James, that is a very beautiful subject! I like how you got it looking towards us here. Good details and colour, but yes I agree it was too cold, with Aditya's repost bringing it some nice warmth. Yes to more room if you have it as well. The sawed-off part of the perch is not ideal, but the rest of it is good and gnarly. The highlights in the BG are OK with me - blurred enough to make them as interesting rather than distracting. Good stuff overall!

[James Babbitt]

I went back into my RAW files and found another picture. This one was taken with my 7D2 and 100-400 II at 400 mm. This was hand held. I have processed this one and it has a little more room but the bird is not quite turned the same. Better or worse?

Thank you so much for looking and making suggestions. I agree with you-your warmer picture is better! Unfortunately, I had too much lens-the bird was only about 18-20 feet away (I was primarily taking shots of Yellow-rumped Warblers, a much smaller bird). That partially explains the boxy crop. The second reason was a feeder post just to the right of the Kestrel. I will experiment with the RAW photo and see if I can get a little more room.

[Bill Dix]

A very nice and cooperative subject, and nicely captured. I like Aditya's repost and suggestions. I don't know if Aditya added any sharpening, but the fine feather detail seems a bit sharper in the repost; maybe just a result of a bit more contrast. Anyway, a very nice frame.

[Brian Sump]

James, welcome. Great to have ya here!

Kestrel is one of my all-time favorite birds of prey. Very colorful male here with a neat stare.

Aditya's added some nice warmth and a pop of color. I think maybe on your repost just a bit too much saturation. I do like the crop a bit better.

Keep up the good work.

[David Roach]

Love the stare, the colors and the details. Sharpness right where it needs to be. TFS

[John Mack]

The pose and direct eye contact are bang on. Nice background as well.

[James Babbitt]

Thank you for looking. A cooperative bird goes a long ways in getting a nice shot.

A very nice and cooperative subject, and nicely captured. I like Aditya's repost and suggestions. I don't know if Aditya added any sharpening, but the fine feather detail seems a bit sharper in the repost; maybe just a result of a bit more contrast. Anyway, a very nice frame.

[James Babbitt]

One of my favorites also. Unfortunately my experience has been that they are often skittish and/or are sitting on a wire or other unsightly perch.

James, welcome. Great to have ya here!

Kestrel is one of my all-time favorite birds of prey. Very colorful male here with a neat stare.

Aditya's added some nice warmth and a pop of color. I think maybe on your repost just a bit too much saturation. I do like the crop a bit better.

Keep up the good work.

[James Babbitt]

He gave me some good poses. He could hear the camera click and gave me the stare down several times.

The pose and direct eye contact are bang on. Nice background as well.