Pauraque in flight

[D. Robert Franz]

From the 08 ICF Contest. Talk about a tough shot. Pauraque are nocturnal and I wanted a flight shot. They would fly around the lights at the ranch I was on every evening. Here my assistant tried to hold a spotlight on them so I could focus. Pretty low % of keepers but I got a few. The white under the chin is Ok in the raw but can seem to get it right in the coversion..... I left the OOF branched in the BG, I feel the give depth to the image and add a sense of place???

Camera Model: Canon EOS-1D Mark III
Shutter speed: 1/300 sec
Aperture: 4
Exposure mode: Manual
Flash: On
Metering mode: Multi-segment
ISO: 200
Focal length: 300mm

[Paul Lagasi]

No kidding tough bird..I've only ever seen one, and photographed none...very well captured, nice wing position and colors. Myself I'd probably remove the stuff in the background but its your image.

Dan: I checked National Geo and a few other books, while sibley's doesn't show white they do...the little curved cheek mark also shows..but having said all that..you've been right more times than I..sensai

[Dan Brown]

Great night bird flight shot Robert! You get very hight marks for degree of difficulty. I like the wing position. I don't think that this is a Pauraque though. I looked in The Sibley Guide to Birds and in fact, this looks more like a Lesser Nighthawk. Pauraque would have much more of an arcing white wing mark, longer tail and no white throat. Still, a fabulous shot!

[D. Robert Franz]

Great night bird flight shot Robert! You get very hight marks for degree of difficulty. I like the wing position. I don't think that this is a Pauraque though. I looked in The Sibley Guide to Birds and in fact, this looks more like a Lesser Nighthawk. Pauraque would have much more of an arcing white wing mark, longer tail and no white throat. Still, a fabulous shot!

The light stripe over the eye is not present in the lesser nighthawk according to Nat Geo guide... So I stil think it's a pauraque plus they were all over the ranch.. I even photographed them on eggs..

[Kiran Poonacha]

Great one Robert getting them in flight is some work..I loved the details and pose the off branches add IMO..

congrats..

[Doug Brown]

Very impressive shot Dale! Trying to AF on a fast flier being illuminated by a spot at night, and using a camera that can't AF :D;)! I might try to back off on the brightness of the bird just a little.

[D. Robert Franz]

Very impressive shot Dale! Trying to AF on a fast flier being illuminated by a spot at night, and using a camera that can't AF :D;)! .

Not to mention very erratic flyers.......:eek:

[Dan Brown]

[quote=D. Robert Franz;461255]The light stripe over the eye is not present in the lesser nighthawk according to Nat Geo guide... So I stil think it's a pauraque plus they were all over the ranch.. I even photographed them on eggs..[/quote


Very interesting, the difference in the 2 field guides! I looked at the Nat. Geo. 5th edition and it is very different from the Sibley's? If you go by the Sibley's your bird is a Lesser Nighthawk, if you look at the Nat. Geo. it could be either? Wow? I'd be interested in what one of the BPN experts have to say! Still, a great job on the capture!

[Nancy A Elwood]

Dale way cool:eek::eek:!!! Very big congrats!!! I would love to see a video of you and your assistant trying to get these images:D.

[Grace Scalzo]

Excellent work...so unusual.

[Alfred Forns]

I'm amazed you were able to pull this one Dale !!! Outstanding image !! Good luck in this years contest, hope you get a big ranch and come out on top !!!

[D. Robert Franz]

Dale way cool:eek::eek:!!! Very big congrats!!! I would love to see a video of you and your assistant trying to get these images:D.

Don't think we would have wanted audio:o:o

[Fabs Forns]

I like very much as presented. You can try and select the white band via Select>Color Range, feather, create a new layer and use multiply as blending mode, reducing opacity to taste.

[Fabs Forns]

I like very much as presented. You can try and select the white band via Select color, feather, create a new layer and use multiply as blending mode, reducing opacity to taste.

[Brian E. Small]

Amazing shot Dale................and yes, your bird IS a Lesser Nighthawk............a male.

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Liked it a lot. Thx for sharing the creation process. Wonderfully sharp. that too in tough conditions.

[D. Robert Franz]

Amazing shot Dale................and yes, your bird IS a Lesser Nighthawk............a male.

Thanks Brian I will defer to your expertise ;) I'm by no means an expert birder....

[amir ben dov]

i spent quite few nights photographing the rare (red list) Nubian nightjars in Israel
is is so hard to take good photos while they are on ground
so - in flight ? :eek:
it is one of a kind