Take Off

[Stu Bowie]

Most times, Pied Kingfishers give a tell tale sign that they are about to take off. Other times, one just needs to keep looking through the view finder with your finger on the shutter button ready to fire away. I'm not sure which scenario this was, but I seemed to have got this right. I have removed part of the perch in the upper right corner. Taken early morning at my favourite location - Pilanesberg National Park. The BG is winter grasslands.

Canon 1D Mark IV
Canon 100-400 @ 400mm
1/2000
F/7.1
ISO 800

Hand Held

[Isaac Grant]

Looks very nice Stu. Great spread wings and head turn. And I like the slightly blurred wing tips as well. I would probably clone out the green area on the top left using the top right as a source.

[Bill Dix]

Lovely light, and great wing position. More often than not, I will stand there with my finger on the button and by the time the message goes from eye to brain to finger, the bird is long gone. So learning those tell-tale signs is essential. Well captured. Love that Pilanesberg BG.

[William Dickson]

Nice one Stu. Blacks and whites on the bird are perfectly exposed. Fab detail. Lovely flight pose and great looking BG. Great capture and I like your chosen crop.

Will

[Joseph Przybyla]

About as perfect as it gets. Beautiful Kingfisher, lovely wing position, perfect backgroun. Techs spot on as always. Thank you for sharing, Stu.

[Tim Foltz]

Stu, this is sweet, wings and tail extended, tack sharp eye, nice HA, BG and colors.
Very nice.

-Tim

[Steve Kaluski]

Great to see this 'in flight' Stu and I like the the slight 'roll' of the subject so you see both wings. Good techs and well exposed, ensuring you retain some detail in the whites. They've always been hovering and out of range when I have seen these Stu, perhaps I might get lucky one day.

TFS
Steve

[Stu Bowie]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Always appreciated.

[Bob Smith]

Love the way you've caught fully all three flares here Stu showing a complete display of every feather------and the BG is a spectacular setting for the black/white of this bird.

[David Salem]

Rock Star!! You Win!!

[Doug Brown]

What an awesome KF frame Stu! Love the pose and eye contact. The slight wing blur gives a nice sense of motion, but the head is totally sharp. Well done!

[arash_hazeghi]

sweet topside bank with the great Bg to go with it. love the slight wing tip blur. a winner shot Stu

TFS

[Jonathan Ashton]

Stu that's an absolute corker, love the exposure and details, the wing tips convey movement and the background is ideal.