Swallow-tailed Bee-eater catching a Bee

[Richard Flack]

Swallow-tailed Bee-eater - Merops hirunineus
Location: Dertiende Boorgat, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Date taken: 14 June 2014

Photo details:
ISO 800
Shutter speed 1/4000
F stop 6.3
Exposure bias 0
Medium crop, sharpening for web, improved shadows under wing.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Rich, you know how much I like this - very well timed. The colours of the BE stand out nicely against the desert sand.

[supreet.sahoo]

Good work here. The low angle works well and the shadow adds to the composition. Probably -1/3 underexposure would have given the area around the neck the right amount of exposure as it looks a lil overexposed now. TFS

[Munish Kaushik]

Hi Richard,

Superb timing here. Excellently exposed & it just oozes out of the frame. Agree with Supreet on exposure around the neck area. May be you would like to take care of it in post processing.

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

Perfect timing!
And nice to see the shadow as it gives depth to the image. Very sharp and with enough space all around the bird to give a sence of place.

[David Salem]

Great to see you getting more shots IF. This one is nice and sharp and the exposure looks pretty good to me. Nice that it has a bee also. The wing position and the tire tracks in the sand are not ideal but a good capture none the less.

[Giovanni Frescura]

Light very interesting and colour..but the bet is shadow!!!

[gail bisson]

The shadow on the sand and prey in the beak are what make this image a keeper.
I do wish for a lower exposure and a better wing position but still a pleasing image and a bit different from the usual bee-rater images which is nice,
Gail