The smallest falcon in North America. Howell Nature Center, Howell, Michigan.
The smallest falcon in North America. Howell Nature Center, Howell, Michigan.
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Views
24543
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Awards
Action Award
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Legendary Award
Top Shot Award
Contest Finalist in My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 2
Contest Finalist in Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 1
Featured
Contest Finalist in Covers Photo Contest Vol 29
Contest Finalist in The Beauty Of Nature Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Animals Are Beautiful Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in 850 Birds On Branches Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in PhotographyTalk Photo Contest Volume 2
Featured
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
All Star
Jaw Dropping
Exceptional Contrast
Genius
Great Find
Virtuoso
One Of A Kind
Top Ranks
Categories
NikonMetz
October 24, 2013
Amazing capture! The complementary colors and action bring the eye straight to this photo!
justkim1106
March 14, 2014
What a beautiful photo. Really shows off the markings and colors on the kestrel, the tree and berries make a wonderful compostion. Congratulations on the feature.
Behind-the-Fire-Scene
March 14, 2014
Fabulous photograph. Love the vibrance of the colour and the clarity. Wonderful :-)
GBloniarz
March 14, 2014
Perfection personified! I can imagine this on the cover of countless nature mags! Congrats!
Photofine
March 17, 2014
Such a lovely Photograph he or she is soooooooooooooo cute the photograph is lovely
BowmanLifeStudios
March 17, 2014
Very cool Capture, great timing and stop action! Love the colors and the composition, really well done!
Cecirene
April 01, 2014
Absolute Masterpiece! Simply amazing capture! Kudos on the 'Feature', well deserved!
perrybailey
April 16, 2014
I am a huge raptor fan, and this is a magnificent capture of this Kestrel.
birdlover54
May 13, 2014
Congrats on being a finalist! Best Wishes for a Win! Absolutely stunning capture! I couldn't be more perfect than what you have right here. AMAZING! American Kestrel on my bucket list of birds to capture. The composition is just perfect. Did you ask him to pose?
Beautiful-Breeze
May 13, 2014
Absolutely beautiful!!!! Thank you so much for sharing you work with us. This is amazing!!!!!
mauropremi
July 31, 2014
complimenti per la fotografia!!!! mai visto un falco così, dov'è stata scattata la fotografia?
KatieMcKinneyPhotography
December 08, 2014
I love this shot! It would be perfect for my new photo challenge "Birds of a feather" ...very nice capture!
Coshooter
March 07, 2015
Wow! Beautiful color & pose on this Kestrel!
Never knew they came in blue, the Colorado Kestrels are all brown!
Never knew they came in blue, the Colorado Kestrels are all brown!
richardtempleton
April 21, 2015
Absolutely stunning capture! One of my favourites I've seen. Congratulations.
claudia_lothering_1704
April 22, 2015
Absolutely beautiful! Love the composition and the colours. Well done!!
tolgacagatay
May 03, 2017
You are a God blessed photographer. Impossible luck and amazing work. Breathtaking...
michaelakrempelhoward
December 21, 2018
Great timing - great composition. Patience does pay off. Congrats!
grandmaof7
November 18, 2019
This image is the most beautiful, colorful photo I have ever seen. Congratulations on your awards.
videofilm
January 19, 2020
Oops, I wanted to add a comment but apparently erased my previous. Love these guys and have raised quite a few as Wildlife Rehabilitator.
RickL
March 19, 2020
Beautiful composition,good use of color and light,you are a fantastic photographer. Stay safe as well
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at the Howell Nature Center in Howell, Michigan.Time
Professional nature photographer Steve Gettle had put on a workshop for photographers late in the morning of the day of the photo.This photo was probably taken around 1:00 pm.Lighting
We were lucky as it was a mostly overcast mid-October day, so the natural lighting was perfect for outdoor photography.Equipment
The photo was taken with a Canon 5D Mark ii camera; Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L lens; carbon fiber tripod with ball head, and a circular polarizer.Inspiration
Following Steve Gettle's workshop on nature photography, about 40 photographers from beginners to professionals were let loose on the grounds of the Howell Nature Center. I was just getting set up when this perfect photo op occurred. Not having much time, I was lucky to get the settings (f5.6, ISO 200, 1/500 sec, 400 mm) correct on the first try. The grounds of the nature center are beautiful and a perfect setting for nature/wildlife photography.Editing
I always shoot in RAW and use LightRoom for post processing. The combination of a Canon 5D Mark ii and the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L lens almost always give sharp, vibrant results, so this photo didn't require much in the way of post processing. It was mostly a small amount of of clarity, and vibrance/saturation adjustments. I think what makes the photo as popular as it has been on ViewBug are the complimentary colors of the Kestrel Falcon (blue/orange) and the fall colors of the out of focus background.In my camera bag
A year ago I upgraded my camera to a Canon 5DS R, so the 5D Mark ii is now my backup. I also upgraded my main wild life lens to the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II. I have Canon L-series lenses in 17-40 mm and 24-105 mm. I have 50mm and 90mm macro lenses. I sometimes use a Canon 2X teleconverter. I use a carbon fiber tripod with one of 3 types of heads - ball, 3-way pan, or a gimbal type head - depending on the type of shooting I'll be doing. I have many filters, but mostly use either a circular polarizer or an ND filter. Also spare batteries and SD and CF cards. A remote wireless shutter release is invaluable in getting sharp photos.Feedback
Know your camera and how to use it's settings. I mostly shoot in Aperture Mode although lately I've been using Manual mode more often. Be patient, and be very aware of the background as that can make or break a successful photo. Also, I have to give a lot of thanks to Steve Gettle and the Howell Nature Center. Steve donates his time to the nature center several times a year to put on successful photography workshops. He takes the time to see that the participants have a memorable shoot, and wanders around offering advice and answering questions. He leads nature photography workshops all over the world. Mostly, to improve your photography skills, get out and practice as much as possible.