Von der Deckens Hornbill

[Ken Watkins]

This time just the male, taken in the hills of Ruaha National Park Tanzania, 4th July 2012

EOS 1D MkIV

500mm F4 hand-held

F4.5, ISO 400, 1/4000

[Miguel Palaviccini]

Very nice detail! I would consider lightening up the head and beak just a tad. But that may be personal preference. Otherwise, it looks great!

[Ken Watkins]

Miguel,

Thanks very much for your comment.

I seem to suffer greatly in the conversion and downsizing process and never pay enough attention to the JPEG posted here, which is silly really. In this case I should have lightened a bit more as too my eye the BG seems to be less clear as well.

[Marina Scarr]

Stunning portrait of this amazing looking bird, Ken. Everything came together for you here. Great perch, lovely BG, good light and a super angle/pose on the bird. Could go a tad lighter around the eye area, but not necessarily. I would give the bird, esp the head head, a tad more sharpening.

[Doug Brown]

A very nice portrait of an incredible-looking bird. Like the perch too. Good advice from Marina regarding the dark areas and sharpening.

[gail bisson]

A wonderful shot of a very unusual bird.
I like the comp and the BG and the perch. I like the tangled vine look,
Gail

[Alan Murphy]

Awesome shot Ken. No nits from me.

[dankearl]

Awesome and very unique bird.
I would not change a thing.

[Ken Watkins]

Thanks everybody for your comments and suggestions, which seem to me vary a little.

I have no real idea as to what causes this but I think it is probably the difference in monitors and perhaps browsers, the image is after all constant.

In the end it is a beautiful bird which I have tried to get a decent image of ever since I first saw it 5/6 years ago. I would just like to thank my subject for posing so well in a relatively uncluttered area, a rarity in my sightings of it.

[Richard Unsworth]

Always great to get a species like this. Lovely shot though appears a little dark on my Macbook.
I too have problems with jpegs darkening significantly when posting and the reason remains a mystery.

[Frank Schauf]

Lovely portrait and that is some nice warm looking background, Ken.