Flipping Catfish...

[Joseph Przybyla]

This image was captured yesterday at Circle B Bar Reserve. In the area where I can photograph I take five steps, stop, and look to both sides and front and back. Doing that I saw this Anhinga female at the bottom of the banking with a caught catfish. Moving backwards I found an angle that offered a view of the bird and fish. The afternoon was overcast so light angle was not a concern. The bird had the darndest time fish killing the catfish and then positioning the fish with it's dorsal and pectoral spines to eat. I could only get a clear view of the bird and fish when it turned to the water side. The background is the still water with the overcast clouds reflected. I guess I would rather have more texture to the background but it wasn't to be. Comments and critique welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for viewing.

Nikon D500
Nikon 80-400mm F/4.5-5.6 VRII AF-S ED image captured at 400mm
1/2000 F/5.6 Matrix Metering EV +1 ISO 1800 AWB HH
Post processed in Lightroom Classic CC and Photoshop CC 2018
Cropped from horizontal to vertical for composition and presentation

[John Whaley]

Great timing on this one. I don't think you could photo shop it better. Tack sharp, well exposed, good detail and the mud on the beak adds to the overall image. Well done.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Joe, very well timed for the fish toss, and I like the curvature of the neck of the Anhinga.

We call them African Darter's here in SA, but they look very similar. Apart from tossing their meals as you have captured, they are known to pick things from the water like a small stick, and also toss it in the air. I think it is in their nature/behaviour to do this all the time.

[John Mack]

Timing was spot on here. Like how you can see the fishes eye. Nice composition with a good exposure and detail.

[Randy Stout]

Outstanding timing Joe, with perfect alignment and positioning of the fish.

Congrats on be amply rewarded for your efforts!


Randy

[Glenn Pure]

Perfect timing on this Joe: well spotted and captured. Hard to imagine how you could do much better. I'm glad I don't have to swallow meals like that.

[annmpacheco]

Very nice fish dinner Joe , I like the toss but the mud and a few scales on the beak does it for me! Well done

[Jay Ing]

Very nice Joe. I'd title this one, "Open and say Ahhhh". Anyhow, love the detail and action. Plain bkg doesn't bother me at all. That both fish and bird are in portrait "mode" is just great here. Thanks.

[Joseph Przybyla]

Outstanding timing Joe, with perfect alignment and positioning of the fish.

Congrats on be amply rewarded for your efforts!


Randy

Hey Randy, I just came back to the image and noticed your edit was gone. I did not mind you doing that to show me what you saw and would have done. Please in the future do not hesitate, learning and improving is the purpose. Thank you for viewing and commenting.

[Joseph Przybyla]

After reading the comments and working on the image more I think this is the final. But then again maybe not.

[Alex Becker]

I really like that last edit Joe -- The S shape of the neck is super cool and exposure looks great. I love the fish suspended in the air like that. Very nice. TFS