A wee, swee waxbill...

[Richard Flack]

Happy new year everyone! Hope it is an awesome one for you and your families.
This is one of southern africa's beautiful, endemic species; the swee waxbill. This is the male of the species. Look forward to your comments...

Location: Kirstenbosch Gardens, Cape Town, South Africa
Date taken: 23 December 2014
Using canon 7d MkII & 400 f2.8 lens

Photo details:
ISO 800
Shutter speed 1/4000
F stop 6.3
Exposure bias -0.3

[Richard Flack]

Oh jah, haven't posted for ages and forgot to add edits.... cropped, removed a very small grass bit bottom left, sharpened for web and increased vibrancy

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Rich, great take off pose with the forward wing position, and sharp where it counts. Comp wise, I may have tried a horizontal version, with a little added to the RHS, but Im guessing your BG on the LHS was a bit busy.

All the very best to you too.

We were only in Cape Town for a week, so didnt get to Kirstenbosch this time. Need to get there next time.

[Karl Egressy]

Excellent take off pose and nice colors.

[William Dickson]

Great looking bird Richard, never seen one of those before. I like the colours on the bird and the pose. Well done and thanks for sharing

[gail bisson]

I like the take-off pose and the wing spread.
I like your comp.
I would be tempted to clone out the 2 branches below the bird and the debris on the far side of the bill.
Gail