Sometimes I like a photo with significant flaws more than I thought I would.
1/500, f/7.1, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
I found this female American Kestrel at Farmington Bay WMA on Christmas morning. In some ways it’s a fairly atypical photo for me to post because the light was poor, I was shooting at a steep angle, the setting is cluttered and it’s pretty close to a butt shot.
But I like the intense eye contact that includes a catch light in both eyes, even in these poor lighting conditions. I’m sure she isn’t giving me a look of endearment. It’s more like stink eye but you certainly can’t say I don’t have her attention. I also like the even light on the bird, the nice plumage detail and the fact that I had enough depth of field to get her sharp, or sharp enough, from stem to stern.
This is one of those situations where I almost didn’t aim my lens at her because of the four conditions mentioned above. But pixels are cheap so I fired off a burst or two and ended up liking some of my photos of her more than I thought I would.
In bird photography you just never know unless you pull the trigger and look at the photos. Dang, I’m glad I’m not shooting film these days.
Ron
Amusing and cute. There’s a story in the eyes alone.
Thanks, Granny Pat.
She has mastered the “teacher look.” I’m glad you took a chance on this shot and that it survived your itchy trigger finger during culling. 😉
I get a little nostalgic for film from time to time. There was something exciting about the not knowing and then dropping the film off and picking up the slides (my parents’ preferred outcome) or prints a week later. Don’t get me started on the excitement once same-day processing became a thing.
“She has mastered the “teacher look.”
Boy, that’s for sure. And I thought I had it down pat.
Did we somehow grow up in the same house? 😂
We must have! EC too! 😹❤️
Simply charming shot Ron!
Best thing about digital photos, was able to digitize all my stored film and printed photos. Freed up a lot of storage space in my home office. Have all photos stored on a flash drive with two cloud backups. So easy!
Wow, I’m impressed Kathleen. You’re one organized woman!
This could be in the dictionary next to coquettish.
I’ll look for it… 🙂
From her look, I thought she was flirting with you! Certainly you had her attention.
Ironically, yesterday while photographing in sunshined snow, I too thought of the joy of digital. With film, we’d take far fewer photos because of their hassle and expense. We had to use light meters, rangefinders, and hope we had the right speed of film in our camera for the conditions and what we anticipated photographing And had to crop them in composition. I too spent time in darkrooms processing B&W, but only did color only a couple times as it was so expensive and complicated. Remember when digital first came out and the experts said they’d never equal film? We sure found out that wasn’t true.
“Remember when digital first came out and the experts said they’d never equal film?”
Yup, I sure do remember, Kent. That’s one of the reasons I put off going digital for longer than I should have.
Love it! I like the rich browns on her back and the poofy gray face paint. That’s a glare designed to freeze little animals in their tracks.
Thank you, Kathryn.
She is one fluffy and fabulous bird, stink-eye notwithstanding! And I’d say that’s one of the best bird butt shots you can get—it’s at just the right angle for displaying all her beautifully feathered glory. 😉
I still have my Nikon FG (my first, most beloved “real” camera), but only for nostalgia’s sake.
Chris, I still have my Nikon FT3 and several Nikon lenses but they haven’t seen the light of day for many years.
I so hear you on not missing film. And developing the film myself was time consuming, messy and often disappointing. I only ever learned to develop black and white film too.
How I love that this bird who is assuredly giving you the stink eye.
EC, I had my own darkroom and enlarger for a few years. I developed and printed my own black and white photos and developed slide film but never did color prints for a bunch of reasons. I thought I’d miss those darkroom days but I really don’t.
I loved this self-possessed little critter, too ! And from the point of view of a painter, digital is a life-saver in the aspect of predictability and “truth” of hue-
which in film could vary WILDLY, depending on the formulation/brand of film
one was shooting, and which could, at times, be totally unacceptable in its reproduction of a painting’s actual colors– but you’d never know what
you were going to get until the prints came back, and then you’d have to set up to try again !
Kris, that must have been highly frustrating for artists.
I’m chuckling at the incongruity of the intense glare from her and that fuzzy head.
I’m also tickled that you violated several rules of photography and came away with a keeper. Perhaps rules are for when you don’t have a better idea.
Digital has its downside. Who knows how many trillions of unintentional shots of hands, the ground, blurs, etc., have been taken with cell phones and their so sensitive screen buttons. All that wasted energy could probably power a server farm.
“Perhaps rules are for when you don’t have a better idea.”
Maybe a little stronger than just “perhaps”, Lyle. At least for me…
Thank you for not missing this shot. I love seeing atypical ‘poses’ – especially with your stories.
Good! Thank you, Cheryl.
Are you sure that you didn’t use the word “little” when you were taking that pantaloon shot? In a Kestrel’s mind, the word “little” doesn’t exist. She’s giving you the stink eye for sure! LOL Have a safe and healthy Holiday Season. Spring will be on it’s way soon.
Thanks, Sybby. I don’t mind waiting for spring (at least I won’t after I get my snow blower back from the shop) because we need all the snow we can get. And more.
Ron, I think she is saying, “Hey buddy, can I come sit in your truck for a while till I warm up?”
Digtial has to be one of the great wonders of our contemporary world. What a difference it makes to be able to take as many shots as you want compared to film.
I met up with our top Kestrel restoration guy a few days back and he told me that we are seeing an uptick in Kestrel numbers here so far this winter.
“we are seeing an uptick in Kestrel numbers here”
That’s wonderful news, Everett. I hope it continues.
“And what do you want!?” I like it! I don’t miss film either – don’t have to remember what I did setting wise and pay for the oops! 😉 Nice to be able to get immediate feed back (mostly) and not worry about “wasting” a shot.
-8 this morning – may make +15 – it’s not sure what it wants to do – sound familiar? 😉
“sound familiar?”
It sure as hell does, Judy!
And I see it’s 14 below zero in Cut Bank right now and they’re calling for wind chill of down to 50 below through tomorrow. Two things I don’t miss – shooting film and spending winters in northwest MT.
Wonderful photo of a lovely little lady! She has her eye on you, sweetie pie!
(Digital definitely takes much of the angst out of photography, like that sinking feeling when you run out of film just as that elusive kingfisher strikes just the right pose!)
Thanks, Melanie.
And then there’s the expense of buying the film and having it developed. I sure don’t miss those days.
All true! In my early years I would mail my exposed film to Kodak so there was the extended delay factor.
Yup, I forgot about that. In the early days I used to do that too.
Hi Ron.
“Dang, I’m glad I’m not shooting film these days.”
Man oh man, I think this so often after I fire off a few bursts in a row and end up with maybe one or two keepers…I used to feel guilty when I took two ektachrome pics of the same subject. Digital is so very cool!
Rick
Ahh, Ektachrome 100 – now that brings back memories, Rick. I’m glad they’re only memories.
Rick, in a comment on this post one of my Facebook friends put it this way:
“I’m glad we have digital cameras now, too. Throughout my daughter’s entire childhood, I bought 1 or 2 disposable film cameras/year, and I wouldn’t have the pictures developed until a couple of weeks after her birthday or other special event. So I never knew whether ANY of the photos turned out until it was much too late for a retake. Her entire childhood has fewer decent photos than each grandchild did in their first few hours!”
I think I have photos of the same bird. I think she is saying, “another photographer “. I have seen as many as 4 cameras aimed on her at once on that mound.
April, this bird was in a tree above me.