Pied Kingfisher and Lilac Breasted Roller

[Ken Watkins]

Odd tree mates taken at Rhino Safari Lodge, Matusadona, Zimbabwe 16th June 2009

EOS 1D MkIII

500mm F4 IS hand-held

F7.1, 1/3200, ISO 500

The blue is a bit strong when converted to JPEG!

[Daniel Cadieux]

It's always a bonus to get multiple species in a single frame...especially so when the perch is so good! Did you get any where the KF's head angle is more towards us (similar to the BE's)? I would also crop some off the right to strenghten the comp. On my work monitor I'm seeing a bit of a halo (S/H?) above both subjects. Good colours and exposure. Pretty awesome sight, thanks for sharing this :-)

[Randy Stout]

Ken:

Daniel hit the high points. I think the perch reminds me of some long dead antelope/deer head. Very cool.
I agree about the crop from the right, all the action is off towards the left side.

I also see the sharpening halos.

Very fun!

Thanks

Randy

[Erich Stevens]

My main worry when approaching this shot would be to get both birds in sharp focus, and you hit this one out of the park, Ken. Great work! Plus you've got plenty of canvas should you decide on an alternate crop. The gnarly perch is almost a worthy subject all its own.

[Ramon M. Casares]

Great situation. Love the perch and both species. Light was a bit harsh but it still work to me, what could be improved is comp IMO, a crop from right and bottom would help.
Congratulations.

[Chris Kotze]

Unusual to get them together on the same perch. Well spotted and capture

[Fabs Forns]

Good for you!!! you got them both and as mentioned, a better head angle on the KF would have taken this over the top.

[Stu Bowie]

Now here is a pair that I have never seen together. Good exposure on both, and I would maybe take a bit off the right. Well captured Ken.

[sree.kumar.h]

An delightful moment in nature, well captured. Like the underneath perspective and the fact that you have got both the subject in sharp focus.

[David Fletcher]

Fabulous catch to get both Ken. ... and on a cracking perch. Like the suggestions already mentioned.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Great perch and good details. Another vote for cropping off the right and I might have stopped down more since you seem to have had plenty of light. A better head angle of the KF would have put it over the top.

[Ken Watkins]

Thanks for comments this is the 14th out of 18 images taken as we drifted closer on our boat. None have a better HA for the Kingfisher, sorry. The drifting boat also explains the low F stop to get a faster shutter speed, plus of course the lens was hand-held.
Having looked at the posted JPEG at 700% I can see a tiny amount of halo around the Kingfisher, so some of you must have very good monitors or eyes or both.
I think the suggestions regarding cropping are good I will look into changing the image on my website.

Once again many thanks.

[Ryan Lambert]

Now that is something I have never seen Ken, good image taken here in a beautiful part of the world. I would have to agree on the comp though...