Pink-throated Twinspot

[Morkel Erasmus]

I have just returned from a visit to an exciting new photographic reserve in South Africa called "Zimanga". Besides spending time on foot with an awesome pack of African Wild Dogs and a relaxed male cheetah, the reserve also boasts some new established and in-progress specialist photography hides, built in consultation with Bence Mate from Hungary. You would have seen some photos by Vivaldo, Andre and Gabriela posted here as well in previous weeks, taken at Zimanga.


This Pink-throated Twinspot was photographed from one of these hides. It's a bird not often seen in the open as it prefers dense woodland areas, and it also is only found in the northern corners of Kwazulu-Natal (South Africa), Swaziland and Mozambique.


Techs:
Nikon D3s
Nikkor 500mm f4 VR-II
f7.1 | 1/1250 SS | ISO-2800
70% of full frame image
(you lose a stop of light from shooting through specialised one-way glass with no noticeable loss of image quality - this ensures the birds are mostly unaware of the photographers inside due to the sealed hide being much darker than the ambient conditions)

DOF is limited with the 500mm lens as you are shooting at 5m distance - ideal lens would be 300 f2.8 perhaps with a converter for more DOF at f8 for example , a 200-400mm used alongside me yielded good results but the BG bokeh isn't as pleasing, not sure what the Canon 200-400 would deliver here.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Good pose and exposure, a nice shot. I like reflection shots but there is a danger that they can look very much like a set up.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Good pose and exposure, a nice shot. I like reflection shots but there is a danger that they can look very much like a set up.

If - by "set up" - you mean that this is a natural-looking constructed bird "pool" with a hide for photographers as I described above, then that it is.

You won't get a clean shot like this of this species without making them "come to you". The bird wasn't called or baited with food, though.

[Arthur Morris]

Great bird, REFL, raised wings, and situation. But that rock has to go....

[John Robinson]

Hi Morkel
You will probably deduce my views on this. I would love to comment but suspect would be advised to "park it " whatever that means.
Cheers
John

[Morkel Erasmus]

Hi Morkel
You will probably deduce my views on this. I would love to comment but suspect would be advised to "park it " whatever that means.
Cheers
John

Hi John
If you want to discuss the nature and ethics of this setup and how it produces too many "similar images", then you either show me a Pink-throated Twinspot taken at a similar-looking hide, or park it.
If you want to comment on the actual exposure, pose and light on the bird - then feel free to comment.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Morkel I sense my previous comment may have caused offense. None was intended or implied, I like the image and as you say it is not seen frequently and you have a very clear shot of the bird. The point I am making is that the scene i.e. the water and the small row of stones (plus the larger one) will become familiar.
I have a similar set up in my back garden as does a friend of mine. We get good similar images of common and rare birds but the point I make is that the scene becomes recognisable so what we have to do is to change the "row of stones" - we use small branches and or different stones otherwise the images look rather alike.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Morkel I sense my previous comment may have caused offense. None was intended or implied,

Thanks Jonathan - I rarely if ever take offense, so no worries about that.
Was trying to steer away from a possible discussion about the ethics of this kind of shooting, though I know it gets done in various ways across the globe, some more involved and elaborate than others.

Re familiar perches - gotcha - the owner of this reserve was changing perches overhanging the drinking edge daily, though the rock is semi-permanent he mentioned he would probably take it out soon as it bugged him. I quite liked the rock, birds would perch on it and drink downwards to the left. This specific hide is in a cluster of dense woodland where species like this are found, and the idea is to get them out in the open for some rare opportunities.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Mork, I was waiting for an image from you from this hide. Love the eye level perspective here, and what a great angled pose from the little guy. Lovely colours on this species, one that I havent seen before.If anything, I would remove the lower second catchlight.

With regards to 'similar' images, Im fine with this type of hide, as we could all be standing at AR, and still get the 'same' shots.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Morkel , lovely colors and overall set up , hope not too many folks will go to Zimanga , because many images will look the same in FG and BKG .Not hoping this for the owner .

I am with Artie about the rock .

Overall subject lacks a bit of sharpness , not used to this when you post an image . Maybe it is just me .Or is it motion blur ? Do not know how fats this little guys are .

TFS Andreas

[Morkel Erasmus]

Overall subject lacks a bit of sharpness , not used to this when you post an image . Maybe it is just me .Or is it motion blur ? Do not know how fats this little guys are .

TFS Andreas

Was wondering who would pick up on this .
They are VERY fast. Think Malachite Kingfisher fast. My SS wasn't enough, but very very few people have ever seen it with a wing up, so I thought I'd post this one first. The more uninteresting poses are all crisp and sharp...

[Andreas Liedmann]

me. No big deal ,and i understand your reason for posting this , was just surprised .As i thought , i was right , yeeeees.
Hope you do not mind that i picked this up , LOL.

[Binu John]

Beautiful shot, Morkel! I like the wings up pose, reflection and the composition! Well done!

[Neil Burton]

Perhaps if I were to ask for some Norther Lights cloning in above the rick you might take offence :) ? I agree however the rock must go and maybe once the pond matures there will be some vegetation sneaking into the setup? I agree that the only way to bait many species is with food or, in this case, water.

[BenBotha]

Nice capture, have not seen this bird before. About the setup-IMO a storm in a pond, sorry, teacup. The sharpness is not 100%,. The rock is a little overbearing.

Ben

[Arthur Morris]

Perhaps if I were to ask for some Norther Lights cloning in above the rick you might take offence :) ? I agree however the rock must go and maybe once the pond matures there will be some vegetation sneaking into the setup? I agree that the only way to bait many species is with food or, in this case, water.

What's a rick???

[Neil Burton]

What's a rick???

B...rick :) anyone else find typing on tablets hard ? :)