Nuthatch take off.

[Austin Thomas]

Hi all,

Here is an image of a Nuthatch taking off.

It was taken using several flash guns and is one image from many hundreds of "missed attempts" to record this bird in flight.

The birds wing position is not ideal. I would prefer a more dramatic pose. However, I didn't have an image of a Nuthatch in flight this morning yet by the evening I have one. I will of course continue to try and improve in search of a more dramatic pose.

C&C welcome.

Canon 1DMK3, 70-200mm f2,8 lens, lots of flash guns and even more patience.

Thanks for looking

Austin

[Alfred Forns]

I like it a lot Austin ... also many great things about it !!! I find these images a labor of love !!! Big Congrats !!!!

[Peter Hawrylyshyn]

Austin
A great effort. Sharp and in focus. Had the bird flew in at a better head angle , would have put it over the top. Also looks like more flash coverage from the top/ left side would have balanced lighting better.

You might consider reading the Hummingbird Guide Artie and Linda Robbins have published. It has lots of tips which i suspect could help you.

Have you considered adding a background screen with one or two dedicated flashes. This would allow you to replace your current dark BG resulting from insufficient flash coverage of natural BG.

Anyone who has tried such photos , fully appreciates all the missed efforts and time commitment.

Well done
Peter

[Phil Liew]

These shots are not easy as I have tried them myself and so far have yet to succeed. I am not in favour of artificial back drops. There are lots to like about this photo, details especially even the wing position works for me. Perhaps a little more saturation of the colours in pp would give it a little bit of punch, and I look forward to more shots to come.

[Mike Milicia]

I admire your patience and perseverance and glad it paid off for you !
I've never even attempted such a thing and can only imagine the difficulty.

Wing position works for me but wish head was not turned away quite so much.
Looking forward to seeing more !

[Juan Aragonés]

The Bg is a bit dark to my taste but sure you did a superb job with this guy. The pose of the bird is fantastic!