Results 1 to 31 of 31

Thread: Belted Kingfisher

  1. #1
    BPN Member Alan Murphy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Houston, TX
    Posts
    2,193
    Threads
    467
    Thank You Posts

    Default Belted Kingfisher

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Belted Kingfisher-female

    Workshop: Roma,Rio-grande Valley, South Texas

    D3, 600, ISO 1600, f4, 1/400, -0.7EV.

    During our workshop, we photographed this Kingfisher every morning as he came to my set-up. This image was taken way before the sun came up and lit the scene. Thanks to the great ISO quality of the D3, I was able to get a decent image with the techs I had to work with. It was quite dark.

  2. #2
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Sarasota, Florida, United States
    Posts
    3,522
    Threads
    475
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Stunning shot as usual. Love it.

  3. #3
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Pompano Beach , FL
    Posts
    176
    Threads
    22
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Simply Incredible!
    I do believe without a doubt you are the Master of all set ups.

  4. #4
    BPN Viewer Pieter de Waal's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Swaziland, Southern Africa
    Posts
    1,677
    Threads
    91
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Nice action image Allan, the water drops and fish tail add to the image and great exposure on the dark feathers.

  5. #5
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Ushuaia
    Posts
    79
    Threads
    20
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Excellent image! great low noise at 1600, perch and BG really nice, sharpness and light to.

    Leandro

  6. #6
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Long Island, New York
    Posts
    6,275
    Threads
    574
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    A true delight, Alan. Fun to see and to appreciate.

  7. #7
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Nova Scotia, Canada
    Posts
    1,065
    Threads
    347
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    A wonderful image, with great sharpness and detail, composition, the fish, and the water droplets. In addition, around here it's almost impossible to get that close to a Belted kingfisher as they're always so easily spooked.

    Richard

  8. #8
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    San Francisco Bay Area
    Posts
    1,320
    Threads
    302
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Just fantastic perch, background, sharpness and exposure. And pose and action of course. Did you supply breakfast? :)

    It could perhaps be a little bit brighter IMO. Congrats, JR

  9. #9
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Shanghai, China
    Posts
    1,076
    Threads
    129
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Can't but love this shot, Alan; thanks also for the insights into the capabilities of your D3.

  10. #10
    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Centurion, South Africa
    Posts
    21,360
    Threads
    1,435
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    One drenched kingfisher with brakfast. Good pose, and I like the sprayed droplets from him shaking the fish. Killer BG too.

  11. #11
    Forum Participant Melvin Grey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    West Wales, United Kingdom
    Posts
    317
    Threads
    51
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Excellent image, Alan. Your attention to detail and preparation work are second to none. Here you have the added bonus of 'action'.

  12. #12
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    479
    Threads
    46
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Love the wet bird look!! Adds so much definition to the KF. He looks a little startled!!
    When you say set up, did you supply a little pool with fishes for him to hunt?

  13. #13
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Romania
    Posts
    155
    Threads
    32
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Great job Alan. Amazing shot in low light condition.

  14. #14
    BPN Member Alan Murphy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Houston, TX
    Posts
    2,193
    Threads
    467
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Martinez View Post
    Love the wet bird look!! Adds so much definition to the KF. He looks a little startled!!
    When you say set up, did you supply a little pool with fishes for him to hunt?
    Hey Chris, yes I did supply a samll pond with fish. FYI: Complete detail on how I do my Kingfisher set-ups can be found in my eBook.

  15. #15
    BPN Member Bill Dix's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Princeton, NJ
    Posts
    12,487
    Threads
    1,892
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Another super setup. I love virtually everything about this: wonderful perch, bg, action, detail, pose, comp.
    Last edited by Bill Dix; 12-20-2010 at 09:35 AM.

  16. #16
    Forum Participant Manos Papadomanolakis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Crete Greece
    Posts
    3,408
    Threads
    179
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Nice action image Allan, the water drops and fish tail add to the image!!!!

  17. #17
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    BELGAUM ,KARNATAKA,INDIA
    Posts
    755
    Threads
    177
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Alan Kindly explain You always manage to get a clean BG in your setups . Please share your techniques for the setups . Loved the catch and the water droplets flying off the wiggling fish here .

  18. #18
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Quote Originally Posted by RAM MALLYA View Post
    Alan Kindly explain You always manage to get a clean BG in your setups . Please share your techniques for the setups . Loved the catch and the water droplets flying off the wiggling fish here .
    Hi Ram, Getting clean BKGRs with set-ups is usually but not always a matter of putting the perch in a spot with a distant BKGR. But at times Alan takes it way, way beyond that. He details his kingfisher baitfish set-ups, his created BKGR tricks, and dozens and dozens of killer set-up tips in his CD book, "Guide to Songbird Set-up Photography."

    The cover of the CD book (seen here) is an example of an Alan Murphy-created BKGR..... I will tell you this, the guy works hard.
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










  19. #19
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    479
    Threads
    46
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Alan Murphy View Post
    Hey Chris, yes I did supply a samll pond with fish. FYI: Complete detail on how I do my Kingfisher set-ups can be found in my eBook.

    Thanks a bunch, Alan.

  20. #20
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Indianapolis, Indiana
    Posts
    250
    Threads
    38
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Beautiful capture.

    Please help me with the tech specs as I am very much still learning. Why the negative EV. I know given the situation you described, I would have added and that obvously would have been incorrect? Is it because of the mostly dark subject and wanting to preserve the whites?

  21. #21
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Don, What camera are you using? Sounds like a MIII or MIV to me. The cameras are totally different from the Nikon pro bodies.
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










  22. #22
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Indianapolis, Indiana
    Posts
    250
    Threads
    38
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Artie, I wish I was using a MIII or MIV, but I am using a 40D.

  23. #23
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks. Don. There are still considerable differences between the 40D (though I did not use it much) and the Nikon pro bodies. I would have guessed +1/3 stop for this one with the 40D.
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










  24. #24
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Indianapolis, Indiana
    Posts
    250
    Threads
    38
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks Artie.

    I feel better now. I certainly would yield to your experience but with my experience and my 40D, I would have added about 1/2 stop. I was terribly confused by Alan's -.7EV. I was not aware that there would be that much difference between cameras.

    Thanks again.

  25. #25
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Sydney Australia
    Posts
    1,124
    Threads
    187
    Thank You Posts

    Default Wow

    Wow - thats all I'll say.

  26. #26
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Don Thompson View Post
    Thanks Artie.

    I feel better now. I certainly would yield to your experience but with my experience and my 40D, I would have added about 1/2 stop. I was terribly confused by Alan's -.7EV. I was not aware that there would be that much difference between cameras.

    Thanks again.
    YAW. Do you work in half stops with the 40D?
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










  27. #27
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Indianapolis, Indiana
    Posts
    250
    Threads
    38
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Arthur Morris View Post
    YAW. Do you work in half stops with the 40D?
    Yes I generally do. I used to use 1/3 stops but in my eye could not see the difference. Do you recommend against it? Should I be working in 1/3 stops?

  28. #28
    BPN Member Alan Murphy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Houston, TX
    Posts
    2,193
    Threads
    467
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Don Thompson View Post
    Beautiful capture.

    Please help me with the tech specs as I am very much still learning. Why the negative EV. I know given the situation you described, I would have added and that obvously would have been incorrect? Is it because of the mostly dark subject and wanting to preserve the whites?
    Hey Don, In order to preserve the detail in the whites on the neck, I needed to under expose a little. The white neck on Belted Kingfishers are a tough exposure.
    Last edited by Alan Murphy; 12-21-2010 at 10:28 PM.

  29. #29
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Don Thompson View Post
    Yes I generally do. I used to use 1/3 stops but in my eye could not see the difference. Do you recommend against it? Should I be working in 1/3 stops?
    I work in 1/3 stops for finer control. Note that the difference between +1/3 stop and +1/2 stop is only 1/6 stop :)
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










  30. #30
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Alan Murphy View Post
    Hey Don, In order to preserve the detail in the whites on the neck, I needed to under expose a little. The white neck on Belted Kingfishers are a tough exposure.
    As above, the Canon and Nikon bodies are quite different. Neither is "better" as long as folks understand exposure and histograms and their cameras. Obviously you have that stuff down pat :)
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










  31. #31
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Indianapolis, Indiana
    Posts
    250
    Threads
    38
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks Alan for the explanation and for the minor hijacking of your thread. I understand why the negative EV

    Thanks Artie for your help too. I will stay with the 1/2 stop adjustments for the time being anyway. My photography has not yet progressed to the point where 1/6 of a stop matters one way or the other. If I can correctly get within the 1/2 stop, I am happy.

    Again Alan, great picture. It is photos like this that continue to motivate me to study and improve.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics