Tree Swallow

[dankearl]

D500, 500mm (300 w/1.7), 1/2000, f5, iso900

DSC_4658bp2.jpg

[Dorian Anderson]

These make for very challenging flight subjects, so you did well to get him to get him squared up. The head looks really good, but left wing coming directly out of the plane of focus is really tough. It looks like you were right on top of him because of the compressed focal plane and lack of space around the bird. If you have more room around him I would use it; he's really constricted as is.

[dankearl]

Thanks, Dorian, you are correct as usual.
A repost with more room.
Challenging does not describe.
500 frames this afternoon to get this one.

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[Krishna Prasad kotti]

They are challenging subjects. I tired a lot last year and could not get one decent shot.

This looks really nice.

I like the sharp eye.

Report is much better. I would have more room in the front .

TFS

[dankearl]

Thanks Krishna, appreciate it, just keep shooting..
Full frame vertical repost although swallow was on the left side of frame, not dead center.
I had a lot of near misses, 1/2000 way too slow.
I was shooting Ospreys nesting 50 yards away and did this for fun in between.
I will go shoot bare 300 lens next time.

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[Steve Kaluski]

Nice one Dan, hard to shoot, so kudos in getting this.

My only thought is just to open the black/shadow (around the eye) area up up a fraction, as there is lots of detail there, even as web image. Then 10x8 (crop from the bottom up) loose some off the top and less to the RHS & a tad more to the left, to fly into.

TFS
Steve

[Randy Stout]

Dan:

Far prefer the looser crop, plus increased apparent sharpness when not cropped in too tight.

I have tried a number of times with these guys, and let me say that my yield rate has been abysmal!

Randy

[David Cowling]

A good shot of a very difficult subject, don't know how you managed to even keep it in the frame. A higher shutter speed might help with an even crisper shot but to me it's all about acquiring the subject and keeping it long enough in the frame. Well done!

[Arthur Morris]

Randy, When you loosen the crop, you increase the image quality. I would not mind seeing the blue of the head a bit denser/darker ... Dan -- have you checked out the brightness of the pixels on the white rump?

with love, artie

[John Mack]

Stated seeing this guys this week. Really wish that front wing was up. Nice background.

[Ivan Sjogren]

Great catch Dan! I would go for the third and last repost as the image quality and the comp works best. The light, bg and exposure is all very good! Catching these birds in flight against a good BG can't be easy.
I do wish that the near-wing wasn't so close to the face and raised a bit. I would also darken the whites on the rump.