Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I love Kestrels and so was thrilled to capture this moment, but truth be told, this shot is not all that tough to get. All morning long, the female Kestrels at the Big Morongo Preserve find a high perch, settle there and wait for the busy males to notice. So if you spot a perched female, you don’t have to wait long for a male to arrive and the mating to begin. Unlike other birds, this colorful mating lasts long enough to fire off a couple of dozen shots. Later in the season, the females also sit on high perches, but for that phase, they’re waiting for the males to bring them lizards and other food.
Specific Feedback
I was using a rented Nikon Z 180-600 MM (which I’m considering buying) on a monopod in great light, but I was still too far away for great sharpness. So the question becomes, how much sky to include? The more negative space around the birds, the less the feather detail matters. Too little and the softness is revealed. But too much and the subject gets lost in the frame. A friend worked on the shot and improved the sharpness a bit, but didn’t transform things.
Technical Details
Nikon Z6II, F6.3, 1/3200th, ISO 1000, 500MM. I had been walking around in the trees, chasing woodpeckers, dealing with shade. Now that I look at these settings, I realize that when I saw the Kestrel opportunity, I failed to re-set for excellent light and less movement (than in flight, for example). Nor did I have the tele fully extended. Maybe should have been 1/2500th, ISO 500, F8, 600MM! Considering the chances that the Kestrels will give me another opportunity in the exact same conditions, I will have to try again.