Kingfisher with prey

[Shaun Boycott-Taylor]

Hello all,

This is my first post in this forum and although nervous of the reaction to this image I would really appreciate your views on this European Kingfisher with prey.

Canon 1DMK4 500mm F4 ISO800 F10 1/320 -1EV Aperture Priority Evaluative Metering Full Frame.

The image was taken between rain showers which I think has enhanced the colours, the light was very changeable hence the high ISO. Only slight processing levels and curves, no cloning. I was trying to control the depth of field with the aperture of F10.

Thank you for looking.

Shaun

[DanWalters]

Great color and I really like the fish in the bill!

[Tom Rambaut]

Nice one Shaun - good for your first post.

Just post more and learn from the feedback, you also learn from looking at other photographs and the comments that come with them.

Overall I think the image is too dark. Those highlights on the fish - were they close to the far right of the histogram? Hence the -1 EV. Maybe a tad soft? I'm interested as to what others say.

The head angle is great - something I still struggle with - and the fact that you can see the fishes head and eye clearly realy makes a difference.

TFS:bg3:

[Randy Stout]

Shaun:

A big welcome to BPN!
Excellent 1st post. Nice bird,prey item,angle in the frame, a very different perch than we usually see with kingfishers.

I agree with Tom that it could go a little lighter,not much needed.

I would consider a modest crop of the free space at the top and just a sliver off the right to move it a bit further off center.

Looking forward to more!

Cheers

Randy

[Melissa Groo]

Welcome to the forum, Shaun! I think this is a stunning shot. The colors, the composition, and that fish just really make it a special image. I might be a little tempted to clone out some of the cattail seeds as that clump is a bit distracting, my eye wants to wander to it, but perhaps others would disagree.
Also the back of the bird looks a bit fuzzy, given your aperture of f10.
Overall a superb shot, thanks for sharing.

[Brendan Dozier]

Wow, that is a wonderful image! Just awesome rich colors all around. Some good suggestions already made. Great comp and fish in the bill puts it over the top! :5

[Steven Kersting]

I'd love to capture this pic.
I agree with the others...I'd crop from top/bottom/rt to a 4 : 5 aspect and put the eye almost dead center upper 1/3 line. Levels adjustment for brightness /WB and a mild high pass sharpening on the bird itself.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Welcome to the Avian forum Shaun!! Awesome first post here. The fact this KF is perched atop a cattail gives us a sense of small size this guy really is. I agree with Randy's crop suggestion, and yes to a bit brighter (except for the fish which is already pushing hot).

Looking forward to more...and don't forget to comment on others' images too - all part of the fun and learning.

P.S. First time I posted an image on a web forum I was nervous as heck. You've broken the ice, the worst is past...:S3:

[Sid Garige]

Excellent image Shaun. Great pose, eye contact and details. Fish is added bonus.

[Shaun Boycott-Taylor]

Many thanks for those of you who took the trouble to critique my image.

I am normally a print worker and print 34cms on the longest side on A3 paper. The image seems to have lost a bit of the its tack sharpness in processing for the web.

Agree about the crop etc.

Thanks again.

Shaun

[Charles Scheffold]

Congrats! You've succeeded in making your first post... it took me a year :)

Overall, I agree with some of the other comments regarding the crop and brightness of the image. I love the perch and the fact that the bird has prey (ALWAYS a plus!). It's a great capture. Seems like the lighting could have been better, but you did well. I think a bit of fill flash might have helped here.

thanks
Charles

[Steve Kaluski]

Nice one Shaun, great opening image, wish that could be said for our Cricket.

All been said above, so you can build on this, hope to see more in the coming weeks & months.

TFS
Steve

BTW it's a boggie bird for me, any chance of popping down after the breeding season? Hope you have a class 1 license. :w3

[Dumay de Boulle]

Very nice image...Would like to see a touch lighter but the catch adds...Looks like our Half Collared Kingfisher

[Allen Hirsch]

Welcome to BPN, Shaun.

Great first image: love the pose, the fish positioning, and the colors.

It seems to me the cattail is sharp with detailed texture, but the kingfisher looks a bit soft and muddied (almost like NR was run on it) - maybe it needs another round of sharpening, as others have suggested?