Red Kite

[William Dickson]

Canon 1DX Mk2
f/4 400mm DO Mk2 with 1.4iii
f/5.6
1/1600
ISO 1600

This is another frame from my time with the Red kites before lockdown....HH. ACR ad PS2020...Thanks for looking.

Will

[Geoffrey Montagu]

Off the charts beautiful capture, William. Like everything about this image. Love the intensity in his eye and the wing and tail positions. Lovely light as well.


Geoffrey




http://500px.com/geoffreymontagu (http://500px.com/geoffreymontagu)

[John Mack]

Killer all around. Love the high key treatment and that dorsal view. Nice and sharp as well.

[Jim Crosswell]

I like the diving pose, high key, sharpness and composition. Well done William.

[Brian Sump]

Will, this is such a different image from the norm with the high key and downward flight path. I love it.

What's up with that upper primary wing? Almost an optical illusion.

I think it was you that had the twin banking Kites, yes? The KITE KING!

[Bill Dix]

Another killer kite frame. Great flight pose, exposure, details. Congratulations, Will.

[dankearl]

Very cool pose, Will, I have to say that the HA is such it makes it
hard to engage with the subject, but it really attractive...

[Volkan Akgul]

Hi William, very good.. congratulations

[Paul Burdett]

Hi William. Seeing this image (and taking nothing away from your skill) makes me think I should stick with Canon...dump the 7Dii for a used 1DX or 1DXii and get the 400mm DOii. A great capture, feather detail, sharpness. I'm fine with the HA...you can see the determination in its eye. High key works so well (wouldn't expect blue sunny skies in Scotland...lol)

[William Dickson]

Thanks for the views and comments...much appreciated

Will

[William Dickson]

Hi William. Seeing this image (and taking nothing away from your skill) makes me think I should stick with Canon...dump the 7Dii for a used 1DX or 1DXii and get the 400mm DOii. A great capture, feather detail, sharpness. I'm fine with the HA...you can see the determination in its eye. High key works so well (wouldn't expect blue sunny skies in Scotland...lol)

Hi Paul.....I started with the 7D, then moved onto 7DMk2, thereafter the 5D Mk3....the 1DX then the 1DX Mk2 which I have now....It can be a costly business as you will know.. I am more than happy with my 1DX Mk2, it serves it purpose...fast enough for BIF and good enough IQ. I am sure as time goes on there will be better cameras available, but, for me, the 1DX Mk2 is perfect for what I do. My first 'decent' lens was the Canon f/4 500mm(the old 500)...I loved the lens but by using it a lot, it gave me an injury on my left shoulder which required surgery last year. It was a heavy lens. The Canon 400mm DO Mk2 I find a lot more easier to handle, it is a lot lighter, so when doing flight, I find it easier to hold for longer periods and also easier to lock focus whilst doing flight. Using it with the 1.4 attached hardly makes a difference to the weight and IQ I think the IQ for this lens is very good. Obviously I won't get the same reach as I did with the old 500 with the 1.4 attached. With the 1.4 attached to the 400 it is also easy to lock onto birds in flight. The 2X attached to the 400 also gives good IQ and is easy to focus on perched birds. At 800mm it is not as easy to lock onto birds in flight, but is manageable, and I am now finding it easier the longer I use the lens at 800mm. I have never used a Nikon nor Sony camera, so I cannot comments on them, but going by some of the images posted on here with those cameras they appear real good. I don't think I would be able to lock onto Swifts, Martins, Swallows etc with my 2x attached..these birds will be far too fast for me...but I can live with that. The bare f/4 400mm DO Mk2 is killer. And, we have sunny skies today :S3:....Hope this info helps Paul.

Will

[William Dickson]

Will, this is such a different image from the norm with the high key and downward flight path. I love it.

What's up with that upper primary wing? Almost an optical illusion.

I think it was you that had the twin banking Kites, yes? The KITE KING!

Hi Brian...thanks for that. I have seen a few Red kites with the one part of the primary white...sometimes its on both wings..don't know why that is...The birds will know :S3:

Will

[Dorian Anderson]

Really artistic frame. The colors just crack in the high-key surrounds. Head angle isn't ideal, but the image is so striking I think it still works pretty well. Detail across the wings looks great.

[Arthur Morris]

Hi Brian...thanks for that. I have seen a few Red kites with the one part of the primary white...sometimes its on both wings..don't know why that is...The birds will know :S3:

Will

It is possible that all the primaries are like that and that you only see the white when the feataher is misplaced (un-hooked from the next one ...) Maybe.

with love, artie

[Paul Burdett]

Hi Will,
Thanks so much for the reply and info...glad you've got sunny skies! Cheers.

[Robert Kimbrell]

That one stunning frame Will. Not only a fine capture, but it's beautifully processed.