Malachite Kingfisher

[gail bisson]

Taken at 7:00AM , overcast skies, Okavengo Delta, Botswana. Cropped by 30%
These little jewels are my favorite African bird. They are only ~ 3" high and they always look so cross.
I wish for a bit more DOF but wasn't possible with low light. I am pleased that head is sharp at this low SS.
Canon f 4.0 500mm, 1D MKIV
ISO 800
SS 1/320
F 5.0
PP reduced magenta cast and smoothed out the BG a bit with clone stamp at 20%.
Comments and critiques always appreciated and learned from with thanks,
Gail

[Bill Jobes]

Simply stunning, Gail !

While I love the image of the Kingfisher with its vivid colors, I am almost equally impressed with your perfect comp.

The vertical flow of the BG adds an extra dimension.

[Karl Egressy]

Amazing colours in the bird which stands out very nicely agains the "neutral" background. Great composition. I like the simple natural perch angled diagonally.
Head and beak are very sharp and great DOF. The fish is a big bonus. Great work, Gail.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Gail, certainly nice and sharp where it counts, and the colours are spot on. The overcast conditions have also helped in not blowing their striking colours. I like the diagonal perch, muddied beak, and his catch a bonus. Nicely separated from the reed BG too. I thought about maybe placing the malachite a little higher up the perch, but Ive decided your placement works well as is.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Sweeeeet! I am so jealous as I missed my opportunity when I was in Tanzania. Next time I hope. I really like the BG as well!

[Satish Ranadive]

Gail:
Gorgeous image of beautiful kingfisher.
Love the HA,colors,diagonal perch,sharpness and BG on which kingfisher pops up nicely.

Regards,
Satish.

[Marina Scarr]

Very interesting BG here. Great colors and pose. Like the comp. It all came together nicely here.!

[Dennis Zaebst]

Lovely image, Gail. Although the bird is wonderful, I especially like the vertically banded multi-color BG - it serves as a balanced counterpoint to the main subject. VWD!

[Richard Unsworth]

All been said - exceptional work Gail

[Robert Holguin]

Terrific shot!!
Very nice pose, wonderful background, excellent head angle, the fish is a big plus, and love the diagnol perch.
Very well done.

[gareth thomson]

What's left to say? Spectacular image. Love the comp, colors, action.

[AdityaPadhye]

Beautiful frame! Loved the colors, bg, sharpness and perch.

[gary ellwein]

Nicely captured with magnificent color.The simple clean diagonal perch and eye contact with the unfortunate minnow is a bonus.

[John Cooper]

That's one stunning kingfisher Gail - great colours, sharp, good HA and just love that BG. Captured with prey in its bill was a nice bonus.

[christopher galeski]

Beautiful image Gail,the head is well sharp,the fish is a bonus and the BG is great.well done.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Works well in every way. I too especially like the BG, and the way the vertical lines play with the horizontal bill and diagonal perch.

[David Salem]

I can see why the are your favorite African birds. Beautiful color and nice pose. The fish is a bonus and the vertical lines in the BG are cool and add to the scene. Very nice...

[arash_hazeghi]

nice pose, details, colors and HA. the fish adds to your story. IMO this works better in a vert., especially given that the perch can be placed diagonally in the frame.

[Arno Ellmer]

Great capture ,Gail ,in low light and DOF handled very well. Love the pose ,HA , perch ,catch, oof papyrus bg and colours. Would aslo go for a vert. crop