Trinidad Motmot

[Bill Dix]

The Trinidad Motmot (Momotus bahamensis) is one of five separate species that make up what is now called the Blue-crowned Motmot complex. Photographed in Tobago last month.

D7200, 500f4, ISO 4000, 1/2000s @ f/6.3 manual, fill @-1.3 EV. (I had been trying to capture him at the moment of take-off. This was beyond my normal ISO comfort level.)

[Marina Scarr]

What a lovely bird and frame! The colors of this bird are marvelous and the BG shows it off so nicely. It's amazing how the tail feathers look as though they are about to fall off. I really like the pose here as it's quite unique.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Great bird and colours. I also like the little spikes on the perch. Neat pose, BG look good too. I could see a version with the subject a tad higher in the frame, or simply a touch less canvas above. Looks good as posted for that high ISO.

[Richard Flack]

Hi Bill, really like the colours and the background on this one. The feather detail on the bird is not great as a result of the high ISO, but great pose of a super bird.

[keith mitchell]

Bill you have done very well with this knowing how difficult they can be,beautiful colours and sitting on a nice bg,good pose and that prickly perch finishes it off nicely.

I could never get one with a decent bird and a good tail,so well done with yours.

Keith.

[Geoffrey Montagu]

Beautiful capture, Bill. Such a colorful bird, and a very nice complimentary BG. Good use of fill.

Geoffrey

[arash_hazeghi]

very nicely done Bill. nice pose and colors, the IQ could be better but at his ISO you were pushing your camera outside of its comfort zone, I wonder if you could drop you shutter speed to 1/1000sec and half the ISO to get a cleaner file.


TFS, well done

[Bill Dix]

Thank you all. Yes, Arash, I certainly could have gotten a cleaner image had I adjusted the settings as you suggest. And should have. I was trying for a flight shot, and thus pushed up the SS and ISO. But in retrospect I should have been content to go for the perched shot, and optimized the settings for that. When I finally did get a shot at take-off, the IQ just didn't hold up in that light, with the high ISO. And I needed even more SS. Here's what I got, but the IQ kills it. Live and learn, I guess.