I don't think I have ever seen one that was not on a wire.
http://www.allmounts.com/sparrow_hawk1.jpg
I had posted these photographs down below in my response , and since I did not have them proccessed yet, I wanted to bring them up and post them with the first one.
This was a little later, he was struggeling to hold on to it, I was quite a fight.
kluckie wrote:
This is an American Kestrel (Falcon). It's a little soft. They are sure hard to get close to. Keep stalking. kluckie
Thanks, I guess I always grew up calling them a Sparrow Hawk, but I have heard them called Kestrel's also. SOFT, lol You did not need to tell me that. I was setting on the right side shoulder of the road, and it was on the wire above the ditch on the oppisite side.
I was using Canon 1D, Canon EF 400mm EF lens I was in my truck, turned off, left elbow on the door elbow rest, right elbow on the steering wheel, the lens was resting on the window, I did not roll it all the way down.
I took 189 shots in two different sets, I am disapointed and discouraged in these series of shots. I am at a loss as to whether equipment or myself or both is to fault.
I had a once in a lifetime event and blew it as far as I am concern. Here is another shot, and I have many that would have told of this struggle on the wire.
That second shot is very good. I would've just been better to be closer, but it's sharp and the exposure looks very good. I think in # 1 the camera's focus was picking up something else besides the main body of the bird. It looks like the tail is a little more in-focus than the head area. Did you use center-point focus? Was your expanded center-point setting enabled? For this type of shot I think cf-17 set to 0(center point only) is best. Sometimes if you use the expanded center point and you are shooting a small subject at distance, then the surrounding focus points can lock onto something you don't want. I would check those things.
I you're resting the camera on the car window and shooting at 1/1000th then camera shake shouldn't be an issue.
That second shot is very good. I would've just been better to be closer, but it's sharp and the exposure looks very good. I think in # 1 the camera's focus was picking up something else besides the main body of the bird. It looks like the tail is a little more in-focus than the head area. Did you use center-point focus? Was your expanded center-point setting enabled? For this type of shot I think cf-17 set to 0(center point only) is best. Sometimes if you use the expanded center point and you are shooting a small subject at distance, then the surrounding focus points can lock onto something you don't want. I would check those things.
I you're resting the camera on the car window and shooting at 1/1000th then camera shake shouldn't be an issue....Show more →
Thanks Mark, I am not sure but I will check, I thought I set it just for center point, thanks for the ideas. I also just need to learn to process better. I worked on that photo a little. I started from the raw, did some adjusting in bridge, in photo shop I cropped it to 5x7 at 50% size on my computer screen. I then used levels, brightness/contrast, shadow/highlight, then unsharp mask one time at, I think, because I changed it a few times before settleing on one set, 14 50.3 0. If I could just have been a little closer I could have cropped it better. When I bring it in, you can see the mouse's teeth, inside the mouth a bit. He looks like he's screaming and the kestrel has it's mouth open screaming back. I will have to process the one where he almost got away, the kestrel made a quick one handed ( leg and claws ) grab and still held on to the wire without falling.
trenchmonkey wrote:
Hey Randal, the last one looks great! Being so far away can't help but like Mark said
it's sharp and the exposure looks right on.
Thanks Will, I am getting use to the setup a little, I just have not had much of a chance, and with this sighting, it was kind of a hurried pace, and getting high hopes of some really cool shots. But to hold it still is the challenge,and I still had other autos flying by and their air would make the truck rock some to. I will keep my eyes open for him again and see what happens. It's a learning expeirence and if it was easy, we would all be bored.
Thanks again Will,
Randal
Hi Randal
As I read how you took the picture I had to chuckle, thought I might have been right there with ya a few days ago trying to do the same exact thing. I don't know your camera body controls well but is it possible you may have been in AI Servo, where as Single shot may have been better, perhaps the focus was hunting a bit if it were in AI Servo.
Anyhow, sure is a neat bird to see, and I like that second shot! Good luck next time, I think these guys are a bit territorial and may very well be found at same local again.
Karl Witt wrote:
Hi Randal
As I read how you took the picture I had to chuckle, thought I might have been right there with ya a few days ago trying to do the same exact thing. I don't know your camera body controls well but is it possible you may have been in AI Servo, where as Single shot may have been better, perhaps the focus was hunting a bit if it were in AI Servo.
Anyhow, sure is a neat bird to see, and I like that second shot! Good luck next time, I think these guys are a bit territorial and may very well be found at same local again.
Hi Karl, Thanks for this input, you are right on the money. I did, and do have it set to Al Servo, I was taking some shots at flying birds and did not change it.
So as I am finding out, I had a few things not right to make this shot have been better, and in this moment of haste, I hurt myself more than helped. This is what I think is great about this forum, that people will take the time to look and see something that I should have paid attention to.
Randal
rwenglish1 wrote:
Hi Karl, Thanks for this input, you are right on the money. I did, and do have it set to Al Servo, I was taking some shots at flying birds and did not change it.
So as I am finding out, I had a few things not right to make this shot have been better, and in this moment of haste, I hurt myself more than helped. This is what I think is great about this forum, that people will take the time to look and see something that I should have paid attention to.
Randal
Randal, you get to benefit from all of us who have made the same mistakes! I would go back to the same spot however and set the camera up for the 'one shot' mode and try to replicate the shutter/aperature setup and test fire some hand braced shots just on the wire or maybe and area of the wire pole that would verify accurate focus and no camera shake. Then you know you got it!
Have a Happy New Year..........can't wait to see your next post of the Kestrel.
Karl
I tried to shot a Kestrel last week -- on a post. After looking at 22 shots - I kept 2. They are little, fast and I always have a hard time with them. The last two shots would make me proud. I shoot in AI Servo for most of my bird shots -- never think to change it -- and I always use center point -- but then I am have a whole lot to learn. What great captures with the mouse! Steve W
alameda wrote:
I tried to shot a Kestrel last week -- on a post. After looking at 22 shots - I kept 2. They are little, fast and I always have a hard time with them. The last two shots would make me proud. I shoot in AI Servo for most of my bird shots -- never think to change it -- and I always use center point -- but then I am have a whole lot to learn. What great captures with the mouse! Steve W
Thanks Steve for the comments, I also wonder if I would have used a higher ISO than 100, if it would have made a difference in freezing the movement better. I will keep looking for him there and hope that lighting strikes twice.
rw
kluckie is right about it not only being a Falcon but it is the smallest one in North America and the second smallest in the world. (Please don't ask me for the smallest). I don't know how far you are from the bird but you need to be really lucky to catch one close unless you come on it while feeding. It is amazeing just how small a bird looks when you get it on the computer screen.
I see you used a 1D and those bodies have a 1.3 digital crop factor. I have the 1dm2n and the new 40D and I can say the 40D with it being 10+MP and a digital factor of 1.6 on your 1 to 400 would have brought that bird in tighter. I am amazed at the difference between my 1dm2n and the 20D and 40D when it is compared to the same subject with my 500 or the 1 to 400. I really like the new 40D and it is no slouch for speed or settings and the cost is really good.
Lou
, lol You did not need to tell me that. I was setting on the right side shoulder of the road, and it was on the wire above the ditch on the oppisite side. 