Itching - Yellow-chevroned Parakeet

[Geraldo Hofmann]

Itching - Yellow-chevroned Parakeet

This little guy was doing nothing interesting for hours and we always checked back and forth, but it seemed quite happy with its situation and took a long nap. When the sky got grey and dark it decided it’s time to get up and was scratching itself we wanted to capture this – in parrots always funny looking- behavior sharp and crisp and went for flash as main-light.

EOS 50D, 1/250, f=6.3, ISO 200, 500mm +1.4 flash 580EX ETTLII -0.3


We appreciate your comments and critiques, thanks!

Geraldo & Fernanda

[Stu Bowie]

Geraldo, vibrant colours on the parakeet, and good use of flash. I like the behaviour, and wish the stem didnt intersect with the head.

[Arthur Morris]

Scratching pose and head angle are perfect. Could have used a bit more room on the bottom for the virtual tail. The shadow caused by the flash is mildly distracting. Why not go with a higher ISO and less flash (so that it acted as fill flash instead of flash as main light)?

[Geraldo Hofmann]

Thanks to both of you!!
The picture is a crop and the original has more room at the bottom I will give it a try ... thanks. Arthur you spotted it immediately .....I agree the shadow is one of the things I don't like with this picture but even with ISO 800 there was only 1/60 and I didn't get a single sharp shot ... this was the reason I went for flash as main light.

Regards Geraldo

[Arthur Morris]

YAW. I am not sure however that I am buying your explanation I checked the histogram and a good part of the yellow wing bar is toasted and the tree bark is bright (if not too bright). Going to ISO 800 and working at 1/125 sec. at f/5.6 or 6.3 with the flash at -3 stops might have been perfect. If the bird is still that should be fast enough to make sharp images with the combo you were using. Respectfully.

[Geraldo Hofmann]

Thanks Arthur!,

Back from a couple of days in the field ... and I looked up some shots where the bird just took a nap ( ISO 500 1/125) no flash and it was brutally (about 1.5 -2 stops) underexposed.

And to be honest I am not so happy with the 50d's ISO 800.

I agree fill flash would have been probably better ... but I wanted to go sure that the pictuers is sharp, the scratching frequency in this small parotts is extremly high. Next time I will give a try.

Geraldo