African skimmers

[Marietjie Oosthuizen]

This was taken in Botswana in the Okavango. I extended the canvas in front of the birds a bit.

Camera model: Nikon D3
Lens: 500mm VR
Shutter speed: 1/2000sec
Aperture: f/6.3
Exposure mode: Manual
ISO 400

[Arthur Morris]

Stunning wing positions, killer soft light and BKGR, sharp, with great detail in the blacks (which could be a bit blacker for me...)

I am puzzled by the following: why is there a shadow on the far wing of the lead bird but not on the far wing of the rear bird??? As the birds seem pretty much on the same plane it would seem that the rear bird is a male. Unless this is a stitched pano or either the same bird or two different birds taken on the same session.

[Marietjie Oosthuizen]

No, the birds were in the same frame, I think the front bird's wings are just closer together and the back bird's bum is a angled towards the back a bit??

[Arthur Morris]

No, the birds were in the same frame, I think the front bird's wings are just closer together and the back bird's bum is a angled towards the back a bit??

Thanks. I am glad to hear that! I was expecting to see at least a tiny shadow on the far wing of the rear bird with the sun well from the left.

Most of us here are unfamiliar with your first name. Are you a guy Marietjie or a gal Marietjie?

Any clue as to how to pronounce it? :)

Again, I love the image. Thanks for sharing it. And thanks a ton for your membership support.

[Danny J Brown]

Gorgeous shot! Everything is just beautiful on this one from color to light to composition. I'm glad to see you weren't using a TC. I like to see the 500VR used clean once in awhile.

[Marietjie Oosthuizen]

Thanks. I am glad to hear that! I was expecting to see at least a tiny shadow on the far wing of the rear bird with the sun well from the left.

Most of us here are unfamiliar with your first name. Are you a guy Marietjie or a gal Marietjie?

Any clue as to how to pronounce it? :)

Again, I love the image. Thanks for sharing it. And thanks a ton for your membership support.

:) a girl. It is pronounced 'Mariki' - it is Afrikaans.

[Jim Crosswell]

I like the sharpness of this pair and the tricolored BG. Very well done!

[Arthur Morris]

:) a girl. It is pronounced 'Mariki' - it is Afrikaans.

Hi "Mariki."

I was thinking that you might be a lady. It is nice to have you aboard. So many of our foreign contributors are men it is good to have a lady along for the ride.

[Nevil Lazarus]

This is really nice - great detail and light.

[Tony Whitehead]

Well done Marietjie. You can almost sense the motion of their flight in this image. Love the BG and plumage details. Great to have both birds so sharp.

[Harshad Barve]

Very well done Mariki:p
Nothing much to add but I must say this is spectacular image
TFS