Red Kite Upside Down Dive

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08-21-2018, 08:14 AM
Arthur Morris

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Red Kite Upside Down Dive

This image was created at Harewood, UK with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 195mm) and my main Nikon D850. ISO 1000. Matrix metering +1 stop as framed: 1/3200 sec. at f/6.3 was a bit hot. NATURAL AUTO WB at around 4pm on a clear afternoon. Center Group (grp)/Continuous (AI Servo in Canon)/Shutter button AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure; this is just a small crop from below and from the left. The bird’s face was centered between the upper and right-most points of the array. Click on the image to see a larger version. Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: zero. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.

Learn more about the creation of this photograph in the blog post here.

As for the image, don't be shy; all comments are welcome.

with love, artie
08-21-2018, 08:38 AM
Isaac Grant

Super frame Artie. Hard to get more of a dynamic pose than this. Beautifully sharp as well. That's the kind of shot that keeps us all going out isn't it? Congrats.
08-21-2018, 08:41 AM
Arthur Morris

Thanks Isaac. And true, but for me, images like this are far more possible with my Nikon gear ... :)

with love, artie

ps: have a great trip!
08-21-2018, 10:07 AM
Krishna Prasad kotti

Amazing Shot. I love the Framing and Pose. I heard from folks that 80-400 had weakness in AF Acquisition which is why I choose 300 f/4 PF over it. Amazing to see that you got this one with that lens.

Can't stop taking my eyes of this image....

Thanks for sharing.
08-21-2018, 10:10 AM
Arthur Morris

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krishna Prasad kotti

Amazing Shot. I love the Framing and Pose. I heard from folks that 80-400 had weakness in AF Acquisition which is why I choose 300 f/4 PF over it. Amazing to see that you got this one with that lens.

Can't stop taking my eyes of this image....

Thanks for sharing.

Initial acquisition with the 80-400 is virtually instant. Were those the internet experts that said that? Thanks for your kind words. I agree. When I saw it I could not believe that I took it!

with love, artie
08-21-2018, 10:52 AM
Raybel Robles

Great image and I can imagine the speed this bird was diving down!

I was surprise as well when I read the 80-400mm. A friend of mines had the same lens when it came out and he struggled with it for birds. It just wasn't sharp and it was too a bit slow in focusing if I remember correctly. He end up selling it and getting a Sigma instead.
08-21-2018, 11:03 AM
Arthur Morris

Thanks Ray, I have used mine only with the D850 and the results have been fabulous.

with love, artie
08-21-2018, 11:09 AM
Krishna Prasad kotti

I read lot of reviews online. I had one of my friends who also confirmed the same. After this image, I saw we might be mistaken.
08-21-2018, 11:36 AM
Jonathan Ashton

A beautifully caught moment, well done. Artie you like genuine comments so here goes:

I am alluding to the plumage in the image. The plumage seems to me to lack structure, I would have expected to see much more detail, however there seems to be a hint of detail in the area around the feet.
The focal length was short and the shutter speed fast so unless the crop was too large I would have expected to see more detail. I note the aperture was fairly wide do you think there would have been more detail at say f7.1 to f8?
The eye appears to be very prominent and highly contrasting. The dark wing tips appear to be jet black in parts, and the brightest highlights show a tiny amount of clipping, possibly, (i.e. respectively) they became that little darker and brighter on conversion to the jpeg, the brighter elements don't trouble me from an aesthetic point of view but I do think the darkest parts are a little too dark.
08-21-2018, 01:18 PM
Arthur Morris

Thanks John, It seems as if we are looking at different images. The crop was a small one.

with love, artie
08-21-2018, 01:34 PM
Arthur Morris

ps: the narrow slivers of the shaded parts of the primaries are quite black as would be expected (when you are exposing for bright WHITEs in the sun). I even found some at R=0, G=0, B=7. But the darkest primaries lit by the sun show everything in the 50s and 60s ...

with love, artie

ps: and yes, there are miniscule amounts of clipping in the JPEG that are not present on the master TIFF file.
08-21-2018, 02:23 PM
annmpacheco

Ohhh my! Congrats, what an incredible capture, IQ, and the upside-down pose is so exciting. So sharp, Im enjoying every feather!
08-21-2018, 02:39 PM
William Dickson

This is brilliant. Love the flight pose and detail. Great HA and splayed tail..

Will
08-21-2018, 02:53 PM
Dorian Anderson

The pose makes this shot, for sure! I really like the look at the feet. I assume you're referring to clipping in the white on the primaries, particularly on left wing? Minor point though....
08-21-2018, 03:44 PM
Bill Dix

Wonderful dynamic flight shot, especially for someone who didn't used to do flight shots. But not all the credit goes to Nikon -- great reflexes to track this bird at top diving speed. Congrats on a fine image. Blacks look good except for a few shaded primaries which are fine for me. I'm wondering if some of the negative comments about the 80-400 were based on the earlier version. It improved dramatically when they came out with a newer one a few years back.
08-21-2018, 03:44 PM
John Mack

Looks fancy. You were close to this kite. Wicked pose. Really like the blue sky background.
08-21-2018, 06:51 PM
Daniel Cadieux

Nothing much to add really. Fantastic. I love the clutched feet. I'm surprised you did not remove the leg band.
08-22-2018, 07:25 AM
Joseph Przybyla

Hey Artie, wonderful image... I think you recovered as much detail as possible in the area on each wing that would have been hot on each wing. Difficult exposure, bright sky, dark and light areas on the bird. Thank you for sharing.

Regarding the Nikon 80-400mm AF-S (the newest one)... for bird photography in Florida, it is the only lens I use. Focus acquisition (as Artie wrote) is instinaneous. My guess would be that those who say different are blaming the lens rather than the user. My opinion from using the lens for over four years.
08-22-2018, 02:35 PM
Alex Becker

Pretty sweet. Not much more to say than the above! I really liked this one when I saw it on your page a bit back and it's great seeing it bigger. I love the pose, the feet, and the head angle. Nice blues in the sky. TFS
08-22-2018, 10:36 PM
arash_hazeghi

very nice Artie, welcome to the flight club next is against varied BG's :D
08-23-2018, 01:52 PM
Stu Bowie

Hi Artie, simply insane inflight capture. Tack, tack sharp, and the detail and exposure perfecto. Very well captured.
08-24-2018, 07:15 PM
David Salem

Where the heck did you pull that out from!!
Delux pose and great details. Very nice for an old man. That Nikon stuff is making you look better than you really are:t3
All kidding aside, Well done!!
08-25-2018, 03:03 AM
Arthur Morris

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Salem

Where the heck did you pull that out from!!
Delux pose and great details. Very nice for an old man. That Nikon stuff is making you look better than you really are:t3
All kidding aside, Well done!!

Thanks, but you are right :)

with love, artie
08-25-2018, 11:38 AM
Mike Poole

Excellent frame from very tough conditions. After you all drove off there was a mass influx where all the birds descended at the same time rather than the procession we were getting. If you go back next year, it may be worth standing a few yards further back and going a bit later in the afternoon if its bright again.

Still a good afternoon to remember

Mike
08-26-2018, 01:13 AM
Doug Brown

Super pose and excellent sharpness! Glad the Nikon AF has delivered for you!