Barn swallow in flight

[Vincent Grafhorst]

Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica), Khama Rhino Sanctuary, Botswana.

I have always wanted to get one of these fast little fellows in flight. I was lucky here with a flock of them flying against strong wind and landing on low shrubs, which made it easier.

This is cropped to app 70% of original and some branches at the bottom were cloned out.

Camera Model Canon EOS 40D
Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/2500
Av( Aperture Value ) 7.1
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
Exposure Compensation +2/3
ISO Speed 500
Lens EF500mm f/4L IS USM
Focal Length 500.0 mm
Image Size 3888x2592, cropped app. 70%
Image Quality RAW
Flash Off

[Maxis Gamez]

Hello Vincent,

Looks a little too Small in the frame. I also would like to see a better head position.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Not easy to capture, the strong wind seems to have helped. I agree with Maxis regarding crop and eye contact.