Pied Kingfisher in flight

[Alex Becker]

Hi all,

Had a lot of fun photographing the Pied Kingfisher in Gorongosa, Mozambique and was able to manage an in flight frame. Cloned out a couple OOF sticks. In post, NR, reduced a blue cast, cropped to ~70% of the FF.

Camera: Nikon D500
Lens: 500mm f/4 + 1.4 TC
Specs: 1/1600 f/6.3 ISO 2,200

Thanks for looking and commenting on prior posts!
Alex

[Doug Brown]

Love the acrobatic pose and solid eye contact. I might sharpen the head a tad bit more.

[greg cowle]

Very nice capture, although a faster shutter speed might have been even better. Great tails-up pose, it looks like it was just off a perch. Silky background. Not a nit, but a personal preference, the background is almost too good, I don't have a sense of place. Happy to be in the minority on that aspect!

[Bill Dix]

Great flight pose, with a nice angle toward you. Yes, a little more SS could have helped, but a fine capture as is.

[annmpacheco]

I like this Ale, clean BG, tail up, interesting pose, and that eye looking right your way, well done

[Moe Richard]

Nice in-flight shot. Could use a little bit more shutter speed. Really tough to get these guys because they are so fast. Fascinating background color.

[Alex Becker]

Thanks all, added some sharpening on the head, definitely helps a bit.

Yes to some more SS for the wings, but didn't expect a take off (much less keeping an active focus point :bg3:), and happy the head is in focus.

Moe, the background was sunlit sand across a riverbank while this bird was in the shade, it made for some really cool backgrounds along the river where there must have been 20 of these birds.

Greg, no problem -- I know what you mean sometimes, and agree it would have been cool to have a bit more of a 'reference point'

Thanks again all,

[William Dickson]

Well done....Looking good. I really like the flight pose and HA. I think the BG colours show the bird real good. The repost for me, looks better.

Will

[dankearl]

I am surprised this looks as sharp as it is for 1/1600....
Great pose and BG.

[Dorian Anderson]

This is excellent. Awesome pose, sweet bird, perfect BG. Amazed 1/1600 worked to stop this guy. Such an engaging look as well. I might lighten the right third of the frame a bit just to make the lighting even across the scene. Otherwise awesome...

[John Mack]

Very nice. Love that smooth background and the color as well. Pose is nice.

[arash_hazeghi]

you got so lucky with 1/1600sec and this is a killer frame! well done Alex

TFS