Hovering Pied Kingfisher

[Stu Bowie]

I visited my favourite location on saturday in the Pilanesberg nature reserve, and came away with this hovering pose. Im glad he tilted his head slightly, so the eye is visible. Since it is our winter, the sky is naturally so blue. I rotated this slightly to create a symmetrical pose.

Canon 50D
100-400 @ 400mm
1/2000
F/6.3
ISO 640

Exp comp +0.33
Hand held

[MohsenVahedipour]

Very nice hovering pose in challenging light. I think it needs to be at least +2/3 ev overexposed for underwings & body. TFS

[Stu Bowie]

Thanks Mohsen. I agree, I should have over exposed in camera. Here is another version in pp work to expose the underwings slightly better.

[Craig Brelsford]

Images of birds hovering present difficulties. The bird most likely won't look at the camera. If you stand at the side in an attempt to get an eye in the shot, you can't shoot the wide-open wings front-on, as you did here. Luckily, as you pointed out, Stu, you did manage to get some of the eye in there. It's an arresting image, well-exposed (considering the circumstances, I can overlook the burned-out whites along the leading edges). Pied kingfishers, by the way, range clear over to East Asia.

[Dumay de Boulle]

Like the second version better...Still waiting for my chance at one of these. They never seem to come close enough to me:e3:S3: Did you have good luck in the afternoon?

[Stu Bowie]

Did you have good luck in the afternoon?

Thanks mate. Not much action in the front in the afternoon. I left around 5.00pm after getting a few darter images, but not many inflight. They always landed at the back of the tree.

[MohsenVahedipour]

Repost looks much better.

[gail bisson]

Very nice repost. I love the fact that you were able to get the underwing and a bit of the eye.
Gail

[Vivaldo Damilano]

Good repost Stu, like the sharp bird and dark blue sky TFS:cheers:

[Stu Bowie]

Thanks for all the feedback.