Results 1 to 18 of 18

Thread: Kingfisher with Prey

  1. #1
    Tony House
    Guest

    Default Kingfisher with Prey

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    I worked on a pair of Kingfishers for several months in between going to work, something always gets in the way of your hobby :( .. This image was taken on a cloudy wet day which seemed to be the norm when I wasn't working.

    The perch was placed by me and the area baited with trout pellets to attract the fish. The B/G is a distant reed bed and shooting was from a hide that I left in place for the 2+ months I worked on this bird.

    Techs: 1/160 @ F9 EC -1 ISO 250
    1DMK11 N 500F4 + 1.4XTC Tripod with Gimbal head.

    Thanks for looking.
    Tony

  2. #2
    Raul Quinones
    Guest

    Default

    Very nice details on subject and prey. Nice to see the position of the prey and the "spear" going thru the body. I like also the water drop in the chest of the bird. Great picture.
    Thanks for the background info, nice to known that this picture is the result of careful planning and hard work.

  3. #3
    Super Moderator Daniel Cadieux's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Ottawa, Canada
    Posts
    26,266
    Threads
    3,976
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks for the info (and honesty) about your planning this image. I really like the comp, and the fact the fish is facing us. I'm sure a bit better head turn would have put this over the top! I would suggest lightening the reflection in the eye to give it more life, and toning down the fish's face. Otherwise big kudos form me! :-)

  4. #4
    Tony House
    Guest

    Default

    Thanks for the kind comments. My processing skills unfortunately are very limited to levels, clone out some dust spots and sharpening, that's about it. Maybe I need to buy Arthur's bird photography CD, if it covers this sort of thing that is....

    Many thanks for the comments.
    Tony

  5. #5
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Either the CD, Digital Basics, or both. Followed up by APTATS. Here a QM to selectively sharpen and then to lighten the eye and face would be in order. And another to do a Linear Burn on the highlights of the fish (if they are not overexposed). But for the lower stub, a nice perch. Great bird and nice that we see the eye of the fish.
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










  6. #6
    Leroy Laverman
    Guest

    Default

    Nice when your hard work pays off so well. The background compliments the bird well. The colors really pop.

  7. #7
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Victoria, BC
    Posts
    1,662
    Threads
    441
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Nicely done! I think a bit of fill flash would really have helped this image.

  8. #8
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Lakeville, MN
    Posts
    1,381
    Threads
    150
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Fabulous work here! The only thing I would do is lighten the top of the eye for the catch light effect. (Glenn was right on FF)

  9. #9
    Rene' Villela
    Guest

    Default

    Your planning paid off! Congratulations! Now you can go back and enjoy your work! :)

  10. #10
    Lifetime Member Doug Brown's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Albuquerque, NM
    Posts
    11,879
    Threads
    917
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    I enjoyed reading about how you planned this image. It looks really good too! I agree that fill flash would have helped bring out the plumage and the eye of the bird. Congrats on your creative vision and on a nice photo.
    Upcoming Workshops: Bosque del Apache 2019, Ecuador 2020 (details coming soon)
    Website -
    Facebook - 500px

  11. #11
    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Centurion, South Africa
    Posts
    21,360
    Threads
    1,435
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Amazingh colours captured here Tony, and nice and sharp. What a perfect BG too. Great image.

  12. #12
    BPN Member Tony Whitehead's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    3,972
    Threads
    142
    Thank You Posts
    Blog Entries
    3

    Default

    Good capture, Tony. I agree a touch of flash would have been helpful but not sure how flash tolerant these kingfishers are. Artie's suggestions are good and the CD's great value. I'm curious about the apparent cobweb running from the brow to the base of the beak.
    Tony Whitehead
    Visit my blog at WildLight Photography for latest news and images.

  13. #13
    Tony House
    Guest

    Default

    Thanks for the kind comments everyone, never really tried fill flash although I've got a telephoto bracket and better beamer it's only ever been used once.

    Hi Tony, I think your right about using the flash on Kingfisher although this bird over time became very tolerant of me, even landing on the end of my lens from time to time. I also had a problem with him spending more time on the top of the hide instead of the perch and you're right that is a cobweb, not sure where he picked it up though. At the time he was busy building nest chambers around the lake so it could have been picked up then. He would often turn up on the perch covered in clay from digging holes. :-)

    Once again, many thanks for the comments.
    Tony

  14. #14
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    San jose, CA
    Posts
    634
    Threads
    50
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Very good capture and good to see that your hard work really paid off here.

  15. #15
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Northern Michigan
    Posts
    805
    Threads
    85
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Great detail and a great background I have belted kingfisher in my pond and it does take a while for them to get used to setups.

  16. #16
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Eagle River Valley, Alaska
    Posts
    1,371
    Threads
    64
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Very nice composition, colors and BG are superb. Love the orange feet on the perch. As Artie mentioned, I think a bit of toning down the fish head and brightening the eye and face would really make this already excellent image pop.
    BTW what is the species?

  17. #17
    Tony House
    Guest

    Default

    Hi John, Kingfisher ( Alcedo Atthis ) widespread through the whole of Europe where it's called a common Kingfisher and can be found in certain places in the middle east too...

    Tony

  18. #18
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks for the info Tony.
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics