On a recent birding trip to Thailand I managed to get close to this one new to me. Taken from a hide at the the old capital of Thailand, I had it full frame. Cropping is a bit tight.
1D Mk3 + EF800mm + 1.4II ext 1/160s f/11.0 ISO200 EV +1/3 No flash
Really highlights the size of that beak, Phil. Interesting to see the tongue. DOF covers the bird well. I would darken down the bright area of BG lower right. May have been an option to remove the 1.4x to gain a bit of light and space. ISO200 giving 1/160 seems a low speed for such focal length. ISO 400 may have been a safer bet but you achieved perfect sharpness despite.
The light is a bit intense to my taste but the open beak, showing the tongue, the nice BG and composition works really nice here. I agree with Tony about shutter speed, you did a very good job considering the low shutter speed and huge focal lenght.
Hi Phil - Fantastic shot you have here of a real beauty. I always find black and white birds to be the most beautiful - hooded merganser, black and white warbler, this guy, etc. - and you've done a great job capturing the essence of this species. Well done.
what an image sir... the tongue... the background... and finally what a perch... i loved how you have exposed both black and white..... it is still my dream to photograph this birdie...
Thank you all for your comments. The lighting was pretty intense hence my ISO200. I quite comfortable with the shutterspeeds with the IS of this lens a proven quantity. At times when the bird comes for a fleeting moment changing lenses/extenders is not always convenient. I should have mentioned I was covering 2 possibilities with perches from where I was.
Pied Kingfisher : Ayutthaya, Thailand
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