Magpie on Mullein

[Steve Canuel]

A flock of these was working a roadside field and alternately landing on these stalks and dropping to the ground to grab things. Had to keep reversing the car to keep ahead of them but I managed to get a couple I was happy with. 40D, 400DO + 2xTC, f10, 1/640s, ISO 800, handheld from car, cropped a bit all around.

[Juan Aragonés]

Composition works for me Steve and I really like the head turn and eye contact

[Danny J Brown]

Hey Steve: This was the shot I was trying to get on our trip out west last summer. I'd never seen a magpie before and they were everywhere around the badlands but I couldn't get them to cooperate. You really caught this one at a perfect moment and it looks like the light was cooperative as well. The 400DO w/2x looks to be producing some super photos for you - and a little less of a pain to handle in the car than the 500.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Good-looking bird, I wish they would be in this area, too. I like the light, head turn and BG and only wish the sun would have been behind you.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

I like the composition. It would have been great to see this one with frontal lighting. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Steve, these poses always work well, and I like the comp. I feel you have exposed the blacks nicely, and overall, nice and sharp. Great BG too. ( I know exactly what you mean about keeping ahead of subjects in the car, up and down a road to get the best angle - most times stressful to get that perfect shot. )