Early Morning Giant

[Stu Bowie]

Just a Giant Kingfisher enjoying an early morning scan for her next meal. Taken in the Pilanesberg nature reserve during our winter last year. The BG is as shot, and is an OOF mountain.

Canon 50D
100-400 @ 400mm
1/1600
F/5.6
ISO 800

Exp Comp +0.67
Hand Held

[Randy Stout]

Stuart:

Perfect head angle for this look back pose. Nice to see the detail in the eye. Great BG as usual there.

I might consider removing the last little fragment of the perch, it is so eye catching that I keep wandering back to it.

Cheers

Randy

[Jim Crosswell]

Great image Stuart! I like the detail, sharpness and BG. I find the tip of the perch a little distracting as well.

[denise ippolito]

Stuart, Fantastic pose, sharp details and background. :S3:

[Jonathan Ashton]

It's an absolute cracker - love it!

[Ken Watkins]

Not very often you get one of these in such a good position with good light, glad you were there.:cheers::cheers:

[Mark Theriot]

Very nice shot! What if you cropped a little more from the bottom, maybe just to the bottom of the branch on the left?

Mark

[Stu Bowie]

Thanks a stack for all the feedback guys and Denise. Interesting suggestions, and I do take notice of each and every one.

[Chris van Rooyen]

Lovely light, wished for a slightly better HA

[Morkel Erasmus]

classic Mankwe light and BG! nice compo too

[Pieter de Waal]

Yes wonderful early morning light Stuart. Yet to get a good image of one of these. Love the raised crest and eye contact. Excellent sharpness head to tail at that apperture. Well captured.

[Chris Martinez]

The bird looks fantastic, full of detail, exposure/processing super. Such a shiny bird and by the looks of it I'd love to see a front on view of that rusty breast/belly!
As others have said the perch is a bit of a bugger.....

[Stu Bowie]

Thanks for the comments guys. Always appreciated.

[Kaushik Balakumar]

Gorgeous warm light & such fine exposure. Beautiful image with good details and sharpness.

[Nico Steenberg]

Great light and the eye contact is a killer. Subject is sharp and well exposed against a killer bg. Well done !!

Where in South Africa is this place ??

[Todd Frost]

Beautiful light on this Stuart. Compsed well with nice look back pose. Good and sharp. Well done.
TFS
Todd

[Stu Bowie]

Thank you all for the kind words.

[BenBotha]

Nice!! Agree with all the posters, well done.

Ben

[Stu Bowie]

Thanks Ben.