THEME: Kingfisher Pair

[Jeroen Stel]

I am currently working on 2 new Kingfisher nesting sites and awaiting the arrival of the next generation of Kingfishers...
Hoping there will be some activity going on soon and here's one from an earlier season.

They look a bit like us don't they..?? She is complaining about the mess he has made of their nest and he is pretending not to hear her..

greetings,

Jeroen Stel

Canon Eos 1D Mark IV
Shutter speed: 1/400 sec
Aperture: F 7.1
Exposure mode: AV
Exposure compensation: + 1/3
Flash:no
Flash exposure compensation: -
Metering mode: Evaluative
Drive mode: AI Servo
ISO: 800
Lens: Canon 600mm F4
Focal length:780 mm
AF mode: Auto Focus
On tripod and Wimberley Sidekick from hide
Levels/Curves/USM/Contrast/Saturation/Noise Ninja/Home stewed Sharpening-mix/ Adobe Photoshop CS5

[Thanaboon Jearkjirm]

Like how you manage to get both of them in focus with excellent sharpness and details. I might lighten the image a bit more and tried to separate the bird from the background more (maybe with less DOF or desaturated the background or blurring the background).

[Ofer Levy]

Excellent work in getting both birds in the frame Jeroen!

[Lorant Voros]

These are shy birds; amazing to have both in the frame the way you captured them with interesting pose from both birds . Goed gedan, Jeroen.

Lorant

[Sachin Saraf]

Fantastic details on both...a bit more selective exposure would have added punch...

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Jeron, very good job in getting both birds and both perches within DOF and very sharp. Nice poses and colors. I am liking the BG as well. Would like to see it in larger size.

[Herb Houghton]

Nice capture of the KF pair Jeroen. I agree with Thanaboon, that some type of separation from the BGD would help these birds pop, whether it's the use of blur, desaturation, etc. A larger version would be nice to show off these beautiful birds.

[gail bisson]

This is a great shot. Amazing to get 2 birds. I might brighten it a tiny bit. I like the BG
Gail

[Jonathan Ashton]

Great shot 1 bird is very good - but 2 - you are spoiling us!

[Craig Brelsford]

Hi Jeroen, your f7.1 is not so very narrow, but it was narrow enough to make the somber BG unattractively distinct. I can even tell the species of one of the plants ("brandnetel" or stinging nettle)! You could have opened up the aperture, thus blurring the BG a bit more, and shot each bird individually, then stacked the two images in the lab. Even then, though, you'd still have the darkness to contend with. I understand what you saw in the shot, though; you saw the two kingfishers together and moved forward. I salute you for that.