Andean Motmot is a deep forest species that inhabits mid-elevations from Colombia to Bolivia. They're usually buried
in the dark recesses of the foliage but can be enticed into the open with fruit. This guy came into a feeder array very
early in the morning. I was hardly ready for him but managed to push the settings around fast enough to grab this frame.
Perch was hideous and included some man-made elements, so I decided to go headshot to get rid of that crap.
Yeah, more DOF would have been nice, but I was up against it with light (see info below).
Canon 500mm f/4 IS v1 on EOS 5D Mark IV
1/250 at f/4, ISO 2000, tripod
Processed in LR CC without significant trickery
Very nice, I guess it must be a tricky exposure with those bright colors in the crest. The detail in the blacks is nice to see, good eye and as mentioned earlier the dark background works really well.
I am loving all these wonderful species you are introducing me too!
Very nice details in the feathers, good BG.
I like the serrated edge of the lower mandible. Blue iridescent feathers are exposed perfectly.A bit more of a head turn our way would have made this a perfect 10!
Gail
Tropical forest settings are tough, but offer lots of rewards if you can get them. This is very well captured under the circumstances you describe; certainly not a lot to play with in terms of DOF. Good choice to go for a portrait. I hope you've been able to get some of the whole bird showing his racket.
Wowie, another great colourful bird. Gail stole my critique, so I will not repeat. I wonder if the very brights on the pale blue streak should be toned down a bit? I do not know this species, so perhaps it is that bright. Pretty cool in any regards.
Looks really good Dorian. Details, color palette and the contrast between the bird and background are excellent. Personal taste but I would prefer a bit more room above. Agree with Gail, a bit more of a head turn would've really finished this one off nicely.