This Pied Kingfisher caught this snack at a low water bridge in the Kruger Park.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Lens 300 2.8
SS 1/2500
ISO 400
f5.6, f8.0 would have been great
This Pied Kingfisher caught this snack at a low water bridge in the Kruger Park.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Lens 300 2.8
SS 1/2500
ISO 400
f5.6, f8.0 would have been great
Chris Kotze
Hindsight is 20/20 on aperture, but I don't think f/5.6 hurts you too much. Great looks at both predator and prey. Super detail and a solid exposure. I love the scales on the bill!
Upcoming Workshops: Bosque del Apache 2019, Ecuador 2020 (details coming soon)
Website - Facebook - 500px
Great exposure Chris, super sharp detail and the bg is a killer. Catch a bonus. Super shot![]()
Stunning detail Chris! Love the detail in the eye!![]()
Great image Chris. I like the details, prey, exposure and BG.
Could you get any closer so we can actually see the fish's tonsils? Very nice, only nit would be focus should be back a tad more in order to get that feather detail right behind the eye.
Excellent capture for you and the KF..... very nice!![]()
Great capture. Yes, you could argue for F8, but this moment only lasted an instant, and you caught it!
A real stunner scales and all!
Closest I've ever seen one so good for you with only a 300mm. Are they not as skiddish as the belted? More dof would have been great but this image works for me and I would be proud to own it.
DOF is okay with me...sharp where it needs to be. Scales on upper mandible are an awesome bonus. Excellent image, lots to like here!
Stunning image with great eye contact from both prey and hunter; nice BG and yeah, the scales add a lot here. Congratulations.
Lorant
Fantastic image!!! Have you selectively brightened the eye? From my experience with these birds the eye is almost black rather than this brown.
this is terrible image grt details on body and superb moment..
Very nice, Looks like the critical focus was on the shoulder so the head is sharp enough, but not as sharp as the shoulder. Love the eye contact from the fish...Ofer always comments on the eye about PK's, but the eyes are actually brown, not near black as he always says. Its the eye catchlight that makes the eye look darker, when I usually remove the catchlight in PP you can see the true color.. This does look a bit lighter than normal but can attest that the eyes are brown.

Awesome pose and the fish is a big plus, I agree with Dumay that shoulder is sharper than the head a bit selective sharpening on the head might help. an excellent photo overall, the intact fish with open mouth makes it very special
New! Sony Capture One Pro Guide 2022
https://arihazeghiphotography.com/Gu.../Sony_C1P.html
------------------------------------------------
Visit my blog
http://www.arihazeghiphotography.com/blog
Great capture Chris. I like the sharp eye and the fish catch is surely a bonus here.
Superb capture Chris, also love the scales and catch TFS![]()
Hi Dumay, here is my camera sees the eyes of this same species....
http://www.birdphotographers.net/for...ied+kingfisher
Great close up Chris, and being on a low level bridge, I know why you went for a portrait. Good overall exposure, and thats a fair size fish he's caught.
Thanks for all the kind comments and advice it's much appreciated.
Ofer yes I did lighten eye, that said it's defiantly brown and this shows in the RAW file.
More info on this species
Pied Kingfisher ( Ceryle rudis, family: Cerylidae)
Identification assistance for this avian species ...
The Pied Kingfisher is a bird about the same size as a starling. The height of the Pied Kingfisher is about 25 cms and its weight is about 85 gms
You will find that the male Pied Kingfisher plumage and colours are different to that of the female Pied Kingfisher
- Head is black.
- Eye is brown.
- Bill is black.
- Throat is white.
- Back is black.
- Legs are black.
- This bird has normally proportioned leg length
Chris Kotze
Lovely detail as usual Chris. I love that the fishtail is OOF but agree with Dumay the shoulder seems sharpest - not a biggy though (I do this lots of times).
Agree their eyes are brown and I am sure some members of the species have darker and some lighter brown eyes.
In Ofer's link the eyes are brown, just dark brown...in this one it seems lighter...could be an acceptable variance like some leopards have green and some blue and some grey eyes![]()