Kestrel at 100 metres +

[John G]

Hi
   I am a New Member looking forward to visiting and learning from the Nikon Gear Members  .
   I have been doing much of my work without a critique, so I have put forward a photo that I believe was taken in difficult conditions, winter, overcast, with heavy rain periods.
   putting the equipment used to a thorough test. D800E + 300mm ED IF AIS.
   I had a few hours of post processing practice behind me when this was edited, and to this day I feel it is the image that is the "keeper" of keepers.
     

[HCS]

Well, that does look like a keeper.

Welcome to our little place on the web, you'll find lots of different types here, both photography wise and personality wise.

It would be nice to know your name.

[ColinM]

Hi
   I am a New Member looking forward to visiting and learning from the Nikon Gear Members  .

Welcome to Nikongear
And your kestrel is most welcome too. Got any more?

[simato73]

Welcome, and how should we call you?
Your username is a little long and not very "personal" 

[John G]

Hi
I,m pleased you enjoyed my moment with the Kestrel.

My name is John, I,m based in the UK, living in the fenlands of East Anglia
near Mildenhall, Suffolk.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

People show imagination in creating 'nicks', but sometimes these appear to be mottos or slogans rather than suitable screen names.

May I suggest you move 'Borrowed a little light' into your member profile.Custom Text so it comes with your avatar, put your full name into the signature, and change your screen name to something more suitable.

Welcome to Nikongear, by the way. Your kestrel is better than any of mine.

[John G]

Hi Bjorn
            Could you offer a few pointers on how to correct my profile to your suggestions. I have been into my profile and attempted to make changes, I am not getting my name to be the title.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Looks correct to me now, John. (I might have given the instructions from my own profile which probably has different field names, but you got it almost right anyway, I just edited the signature ).

Your screen name is 'John Gallagher' (this could be altered if you wish later, must not include full name although NG Admins prefer that approach).

Your signature now contains 'John Gallagher' thus even were you to alter your display name, members still would be able to learn the actual person's identity.

[Peter Connan]

Hi John, and a nice Kestrel.

I would have preferred if it was not in the middle of the frame (although it has more than enough room to fly into), and of course it would be better if it were flying slightly towards you, but in nature photography you can only shoot what you see... Overall, a pretty good effort.

[John G]

Hi Peter
           This was my first dedicated outing to a reserve and was using a their hide to set up the equipment in. The lens used is a Manual Focus 300mm f2.8,
           so I was not expecting to capture a  keeper.
           The Island the Kestral was hovering over was about 100 Metres from the hide, the land island land mass was about was 50 - 100 metres. It is fair to say the the
           subject was  between 100 metres to a guesstimate of 150 - 200metres. 
           The bird would hover for a few seconds and then swoop and start a new hover in a new location.
            Using manual focus, Live View with remote shutter release, was a new discipline, I had been reading up on its value to MF focusing shortly before the trip.
            So to bring this home made me smile very cheesily.

[Peter Connan]

JohnG, the fact that you shot that using Live View and manual focus is very impressive!

And don't worry, I delete literally thousands of photos a year of birds pointing the wrong way.

We have/d a very successful golfer here (his name is Gary Player) who has a locally famous motto:
"The more I practise, the luckier I get".

[John G]

Hi Peter
            Thank you for your comments and supportive words. In this case it is my first true bird image taken from a dedicated trip to a nature reserve.
             So I followed my early method to investigate a new technique for a few days before a new discipline is used, So the Live View usage and remote shutter were solely
             dedicated to this one outing.
             I don't personally view this as a great image, "But" it is a great early image for me, and proved to have a effect on me, where my intentions for doing photography were
             concerned. I'm still embedded in the world of manual focus, and use the modified TC 16A when a challenging subject is being sought.
             I,m will soon post in critique, my latest close range, hedge bird images, taken with the D800E+ 500mm f4 P with TC 16A.  Avery difficult subject to work with and any
             support/guidance will go far.