What do YOU want?

[Ian Cassell]

Here's another image from the Kestrel pair I was photographing yesterday. I just loved the look she seemed to be giving me.

Canon 7D
Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L
1/1600 sec f/7.1 ISO 400 Handheld

Near full frame. Levels and sharpening in CS6. NR on BG in Noiseware 5.

[Jeff Cashdollar]

Ian,

This is a great picture like it as presented. Very original pose, look and composition -well done!

[Andrew Merwin]

I agree with Jeff. Its a wonderful image. TFS

[Gillie Bengough]

A lovely, curious, expression and delightful pose, as he balances on the twig. Good capture

[gareth thomson]

Hi Ian - I'm a newcomer and a noob, so hope you don't mind me chiming in. Great shot - agree w/ the others who have commented on the bird's expression and pose. Also a really clean composition. In that regards, since I'm such a fussy bugger, I wonder if you've given any thought to cloning out that bit of the twig to the left of the bird? (Again, real noob, so take w/ handful of salt.)

[Ian Cassell]

Thanks, gareth, and please feel free to chime in. That is the whole point of this forum - both to receive and to give critique. Your photography will improve as you learn to critique others.

Yes, I considered cloning out that little branch, but I felt its presence made the scene a little less ordinary. It's not at all a bad suggestion and I'll give it a try.

[Stephen Presutti]

Ian,
Love the pose, great capture!
The only little suggestion I would have (and this is a stretch because the image is already stellar) is to increase saturation on the yellows. There is some yellow at the base of the beak and I think the feet are yellow also (I may be entirely wrong here). It would add some separation of the feet from the branch, which are almost the same color now.

[Ian Cassell]

Thanks, Stephen. I actually thought about that, but the yellows as seen are closer to my reality so I decided to leave them this way. Good suggestion, though!

[Kerry Perkins]

Hi Ian, all good comments above and it is a very nice capture, but I feel the need to mention that the wings are not visible. Also, the eye is very dark and could use some lightening. Looks like the sun was quite high and to your right.

[Ian Cassell]

Thanks, Kerry. I'll lighten up the eye a bit. As for the wings, I guess that goes with her odd pose. Oh ... sun ... had only been up for about an hour.

I just made my Bosque reservations for November 13-18.

[Randall Farhy]

Ian, very nicely done. That expression makes the image. Only suggestion is to tighten it up just a bit, bringing even more attention to the expressive bird. Went with a 5x7 A/R to leave some headroom. (please forgive my obsession with crop adjustments).