Malachite Kingfisher

[Chris van Rooyen]

I created this image during our trip to the Okavango last week. I pondered over whether I should lower the colour temperature, but in the end decided to stick with the light as I recalled it i.e. golden hour at the end of the day. Comments always appreciated:)

Camera Model: NIKON D3
Date/Time: 2009:10:23 17:42:38
Shutter speed: 1/1000 sec
Aperture: 8
Exposure mode: Manual
Flash: Off
Metering mode: Multi-segment
ISO: 1000
Lens: 500mm with 1.7x converter
Focal length: 850mm

[Dave Blinder]

Great afternoon light Chris. Sharpness, pose, and detail look excellent.

Are these kingfishers hard to approach? Even with a long lens, ours are hard to sneak up on without a blind.

[Brian Barcelos]

Chris, Wonderful light that really brings out all the colors here. Love the birds pose and it's nice and sharp. Looks like there is some noise in the BG and I'd prefer a little more room all around. Congrats

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Great light, sharpness, eye contact and complementing BG. Another vote for NR on the BG and maybe a tad desaturation of the reds.

[Randy Stout]

Chris:

Good decision on the colour temp. Sometimes it can go too warm for my taste, to the point that it detracts from the colors of the subject. This is a very nice balance.

Agree with the others about NR on background. I might consider toning down the small yellow/orange area along the frame edge where the branch leaves the frame (I am sure its part of the perch)

The perch itself is nicely scaled for this fellow, and I like the clasping feet.

Cheers

Randy

[Stu Bowie]

Great close up of the little guy, with lovely light throughout. The colours arent oversaturated, but the reds are pretty much borderline. Overall nice and sharp, and another vote for NR on the BG.

[denise ippolito]

Really beautiful capture and agree w/ comments already given. I liike the nice feather detail.

[Chris van Rooyen]

Thanks for the comments and suggestions guys! Dave they are pretty skittish, but if you sit flat in a boat, you can get pretty close.

[Geraldo Hofmann]

Wonderful crisp picture!!!! I agree the reds are a little too hot, the noise in the background doesn't bother me.
Geraldo

[David Fletcher]

Sweet shot Chris. Suggestions already made, and like Randy, just want to add a good decision on the color temp. (easy to over cook and the balance looks about right). Nicely done.

[subramanya_ck]

Stunning Colors Chris, first time for me. Absolute beauty

[Fabs Forns]

Excellent detail for the lens/converter combination, I bet he was close to you, otherwise I didn't care much for it. when you want to enlarge a close subject, it works, but to bring a far subject closer, it does not do a good job for my taste.
Beautiful colors too.

[arash_hazeghi]

Very beautiful Chris, love the SG, HA, BG and golden colors here. TFS

[Kiran Poonacha]

Loved the Light and colours Sir.. congrats...

[Danny Laredo]

Chris, colors do look excellent as is the amount of detail.