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Thread: Belted Kingfisher (Another View)

  1. #1
    Danny J Brown
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    Default Belted Kingfisher (Another View)

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    Here is a more conventional shot of the belted kingfisher from yesterday. I would be interested in which shot you like better - not counting perch issues - just the critter. Thanks again for all of the nice comments and interest in the little guy. They sure have tiny little feet, by the way!

    Canon EOS 40D; Canon 500/4; 1/250; f/4.0; ISO 400; Gitzo GT3530LS w/Wimberley II; Full Camo - No blind.

  2. #2
    Wil Hershberger
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    Danny,
    I much prefer this pose to the shot posted yesterday. Just my thing. The colors, clarity and warmth are excellent. I love this image. I don't mind the perch at all. It is very typical of perches that these lovely birds use in their habitat. The background is terrific. Very nicely done.

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    BPN Member Alan Murphy's Avatar
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    A stunning shot of this species. I would trim some off the top. I might also consider softening the lines from the OOF branches in the BG.

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    Well, Danny--this is just spectacular--and I much prefer it to yesterday's image. Better angle and non-moving fish! :D
    Super eye contact and bg.
    Perch does not bother me--I like the little branches sticking up. I would take some more of of the top of the image--and maybe even up that darkish blob on the lower right.
    Congrats! Will we be seeing more of this girl??

  5. #5
    Danny J Brown
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wil Hershberger View Post
    Danny,
    I much prefer this pose to the shot posted yesterday. Just my thing. The colors, clarity and warmth are excellent. I love this image. I don't mind the perch at all. It is very typical of perches that these lovely birds use in their habitat. The background is terrific. Very nicely done.
    I agree, Wil. This one is better, I think.

  6. #6
    Danny J Brown
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bonnie Block View Post
    Well, Danny--this is just spectacular--and I much prefer it to yesterday's image. Better angle and non-moving fish! :D
    Super eye contact and bg.
    Perch does not bother me--I like the little branches sticking up. I would take some more of of the top of the image--and maybe even up that darkish blob on the lower right.
    Congrats! Will we be seeing more of this girl??
    Hey Bonnie: I'll save the other 53 shots for another day lest I bore somebody.:) Perhaps I'll share another one on my 1000th post! Won't be too long. Thanks for your comments on all of my images.

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    Hi Danny,

    First, I do envy the Kingfisher captures... guess we'll have to try walking the banks of the Meramec to find one sometime, 'cause we don't serve little fish here in the backyard and they just don't visit us here. ;)

    These are both very nice detailed images with good color. Made nicer by the captured fish. I think I prefer this 2nd one (despite the ususual and expressive pose in your first post), mainly because both tails are more sharply in focus here (the bird's and the fish's).
    While the overall exposure looks very good, there's some (perhaps unavoidable) over-exposure in the white collar... Any detail there recoverable from the RAW could make this even nicer.

    Both real pretty shots,

    Kenn

  8. #8
    Danny J Brown
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    Quote Originally Posted by kenn threed View Post
    Hi Danny,

    First, I do envy the Kingfisher captures... guess we'll have to try walking the banks of the Meramec to find one sometime, 'cause we don't serve little fish here in the backyard and they just don't visit us here. ;)

    These are both very nice detailed images with good color. Made nicer by the captured fish. I think I prefer this 2nd one (despite the ususual and expressive pose in your first post), mainly because both tails are more sharply in focus here (the bird's and the fish's).
    While the overall exposure looks very good, there's some (perhaps unavoidable) over-exposure in the white collar... Any detail there recoverable from the RAW could make this even nicer.

    Both real pretty shots,

    Kenn
    Hey Kenn: Thanks for the thoughtful comments. I like this one a little better as well. The whites on the nape are not recoverable but they don't bother me too much. On birds with a high dynamic contrast I sometimes just take the shot with small areas of blown whites instead of shooting for all the whites and then working on the shadows everywhere else. Its kind of a trade off I think about a lot but I do watch my highlight alerts on my LCD to avoid too much "white trouble." Also, and this sounds a bit like rationalization, I try to think of how the creature looks to my eye and that usually includes some blown-out whites on some parts of a colorful creature such as this. This has been my thinking for a while and it'll probably change at some point as do most of my photographic thoughts. Thanks again and take care!

  9. #9
    Super Moderator Daniel Cadieux's Avatar
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    Yes, I much prefer this image (although the first one has a quirky feel to it with the bulging eyes). I don't mind the perch, but I don't really like the piece hanging down. Great BG, but I agree with Alan about softening the lines found in it. Too bad the fish wasn't pointing this way - that would have been the icing on the cake!

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    Danny, Great looking image. I checked out your web-site last night and you have an awesome collection of images. I like this one a bit better than yesterdays also-but I did like that one too. Nice pose and catch. I agree w/ Daniel regarding the piece hanging from the perch(very minor)and smoothing out the BG just a bit. Fantastic shot-only wish it were mine.:);)

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    Dannybhai
    This is lovely image and if I compare this with earlier one , I prefer yesterday's post as fish action was more dramatic
    TFS

  12. #12
    Mike Fuhr
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    Very nice Danny. This one is sharper but llike other, I like the quirkyness of the first.

    The background is very cool -- I don't think it needs any changes. I'm fine with the branch, but understand that many people prefer more sterile look.

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    I like this one better Danny. They are both beauties!

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    Danny, I absolutely love this image! Kingfishers are probably my favorites; but the ones here in Austin unfortunately seem terribly allergic to me :/
    If your KFs are as skittish as ours, then your stalking skills deserve major kudos.
    For the critique - I would be tempted to increase the contrast a bit, take a sliver off the top and fix the 3 OOF bands in the background.

  15. #15
    Guy Germain
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    Very nice.

    Guy

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    Lifetime Member James Salywoda's Avatar
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    An absolutely gorgeous image Danny a bird that has eluded me as I see them but just never get close to them great bg composition and detail... Very nicely captured.

  17. #17
    Danny J Brown
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    Thanks everybody. I don't know why this little critter was so agreeable. Sometimes we just get lucky.

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    Lifetime Member Marc Mol's Avatar
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    Haven't even seen your previous post, but I like this one very much Danny!
    The pleasing BG and bonus fish really make for this superb capture.
    TFS


  19. #19
    Axel Hildebrandt
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    I like this one, too, good comments above, I would only add thath the whites on the neck are partially overexposed. It shouldn't be too hard to recover them.

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    another beauty Danny, I like the head angle on this one better, and the crop works well imo, just a tad off the top., maybe go 1/3 lower on the exposure and watch your highlight screen while shooting.

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    Great Danny! I too prefer this to yesterday's shot. I think that maybe birds are a little more cooperative due to the stresses of winter weather, I just shot a Western Meadowlard that allowed me to drive my car to within 8 feet of it, which was amazing (to me)!:eek:

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    Danny....nothing to add to all the stuff already discussed. Loved the pose. congrats.

  23. #23
    Danny J Brown
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    Quote Originally Posted by Raymond Barlow View Post
    another beauty Danny, I like the head angle on this one better, and the crop works well imo, just a tad off the top., maybe go 1/3 lower on the exposure and watch your highlight screen while shooting.
    Hi Ray - Thanks for the nice adjustments. I keep a close eye on my highlight alerts and I took several of this one at -1/3 but the overall image started looking awful dark, even though the white looked much better. I'll work on some of those images and try to bring out the shadows. Thanks.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Danny J Brown View Post
    Hi Ray - Thanks for the nice adjustments. I keep a close eye on my highlight alerts and I took several of this one at -1/3 but the overall image started looking awful dark, even though the white looked much better. I'll work on some of those images and try to bring out the shadows. Thanks.
    No problem bro.. I know what you mean, but out in the field, it is tough to know what is good, when your camera monitor has so much light around, the highlights, and histogram will save your butt... IF you have time to check them!! I know what it is like when everything happens at once with a KF...

    thanks for posting these shots buddy, well done!

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    Wow.. danny lovely bird, great details and sure that fish.. cool shot indeed..

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