Kestrel Tree-scape

[Arthur Morris]

When it snowed at Bosque on Sunday morning (I think that it was Sunday....) the snow on the sides of the tree trunks intrigued me so I found a few with a raptor on them and went to work.

Canon 800mm f/5.6 L IS lens with the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops: 1/320 sec. at f/8 in the car with the lens on the BLUBB.

[Ilija Dukovski]

Just perfect composition, the trees, bird and lower brown BG patch. Great winter overcast feel.
There's one water drop spot mid-image:)

I hope we will see more like this in the future!

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Artie,
Snowing/cold here on Thursday.....so good timing on your part!
Exposure is dead on and I like the balance and flow of the 2 branches but I do feel the left branch is stronger texturally than the right one. The kestral is a plus but isn't strong enough to carry that side IMO. I would have also preferred just sky as the BG but do realize the limitations you were under......I guess this one just isn't working for me.

[Dave Mills]

Hi Artie, Have to agree with Roman that compositionally it's balanced and with the snow has interest. I know your looking at this as a landscape but ones eye naturally goes to the bird which is almost insignificant. The
foliage on the bottom doesn't bother me greatly but my preference would have been all sky...

[Indranil Sircar]

Hi Artie, I think the balance of the tree trunk with snow itself makes this image stand out. I agree with Roman and Dave on the kestrel. For me, the foliage works with the bird and not without it.

[Arthur Morris]

Just perfect composition, the trees, bird and lower brown BG patch. Great winter overcast feel.
There's one water drop spot mid-image:)

I hope we will see more like this in the future!

Thanks Ilija. I think that that was a snow flake either on the sensor or the rear element of the lens.... It was bigger on some of the images.....

[Arthur Morris]

Roman, Thanks for your comments. I sorta like it and love that with my reading glasses on I can see the kestrel's "whiskers."

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Loved it Artie. Excellent comp. What amazes me the most is you "saw" this one. Considering this is at 1040mm effective focal length, with naked eyes, the bird must be quite far away.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Kaustubh, What is strange is that I usually work so tight and clean.... And yes, the bird was quite a distance away.

[Arthur Morris]

To Roman and Dave, What you are seeing as sky BKGR is actually snow covered mountains. I do thank you for sharing your thoughts but there is no way that I would even consider creating an image like this without something to "ground" it if you would. <smile>

[Dennis "Curly" Buchner]

Artie I'm a little disappointed the kestrel does not have the right head angle. I like the different layers in the background, very nice

[Arthur Morris]

Not sure if you are joshing me but I deleted all the ones with the proper head angle so that I could see the moustache.

[Dennis "Curly" Buchner]

Yes I'm just joshing you

[Arthur Morris]

That's what I figgered. <smile>