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Thread: Diderik Cuckoo

  1. #1
    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
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    Default Diderik Cuckoo

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    Im really happy to have captured this guy, as he is very elusive, and the last time I managed an image of him was a couple of years ago. The BG is OOF grasses, and I cloned away the top part of his perch, as it was going across his head. Taken early morning, in a small nature reserve close to my house. I wished a for a slightly better HA.:)

    Canon 50D
    100-400 @ 390mm
    1/2000
    F/6.3
    ISO 500

    Exp Comp +0.33
    Hand held from the car.

  2. #2
    Jan Fourie
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    what beautiful colours,nice eye contact ,great perch,BG and comp

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    Lucky you. The image is nice and sharp and the bird pops so nicely from the OOF BG. Lovely presentation mate.

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    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
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    Stuart:

    What a colorful fellow with a great eye. The light angle was well off to your right, but the very slight head turn towards us keeps his face out of the shadows. If you haven't done so, you might be able to lighten the shadows on the breast and underwing area a bit.
    I like the subtle pattern of the OOF grasses.
    Nice job removing the stick.

    Cheers

    Randy

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    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Randy Stout View Post
    Stuart:
    If you haven't done so, you might be able to lighten the shadows on the breast and underwing area a bit.


    Cheers

    Randy
    Thanks Randy. I have already lightened the breast area, and always do just a subtle adjustment.

    Thanks Hendri and Jan for your feedback too.

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    Wow, definitely recognizable as a cuckoo, yet so colorful--thanks for another window into Africa, Stu. Your work in Photoshop must have been painstaking, but you make it look effortless. I wouldn't have guessed.

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    Great one Stu! Like the pose, detail, colours & BG.

  8. #8
    Brendan Dozier
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    Pow! That pops real nice. Love the contrast with soft BG and its subtle shades of complimentry colors

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    BPN Member Tony Whitehead's Avatar
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    Good job, Stu. I love the BG and so nice to see him out in the open with the iridescent green. Fill flash with a BB at capture would open up the shaded areas. This is one to be proud of.
    Tony Whitehead
    Visit my blog at WildLight Photography for latest news and images.

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    Lifetime Member Doug Brown's Avatar
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    A real beauty of a species Stuart! I'm sure it was a thrill to get one out in the open. Nice PS work removing the stick.
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    Super Moderator Daniel Cadieux's Avatar
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    Great PS job with that perch trimming! Awesome bird, with a good BG with neat faint streaking in it. I personally wish for an even better HA...but seeing that this bird seems so elusive I'm betting you're quite alright with it as is:cool:

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    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
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    Thank you all so much for the kind words. Always appreciated.

  13. #13
    Danny J Brown
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    What a bird?!! What a shot?!! Beautiful work......love the bokeh as well. Congrats.

    DB

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    BPN Viewer Pieter de Waal's Avatar
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    Excellent image of this elusive bird Stuart, colours, head angle and background are spot on. Well captured out in the open.

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    All has been said ,Stu ( Shot and PS work ) ! Just to add my congrats .

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    extremely beautiful bird Stua... i am still enjoying the beauty of bird so will not involve in any kind of techs and processing talks. :) let me enjoy the beauty

  17. #17
    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
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    Thanks a stack for the feedback guys.

  18. #18
    Nate Chappell
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    First time I've seen this one, tfs. Great shot, It would have made a sweet vertical too.

  19. #19
    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
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    Thanks a stack Nate.

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