African Wattled Lapwing

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Everyone, wishing you all a fantastic 2012. Since this is my first post for the new year, Im going to share one captured early yesterday morning. I took a drive through my local nature reserve close to my house, after having rain in our parts for nearly 2 weeks. There were quite a few of these guys congregated at the side of the road. I singled one out against the best BG and having the best HA, and this is the result. The BG is totally natural, and OOF.

Canon 50D
100-400 @ 400mm
1/1250
F/7.1
ISO 400

Exp Comp 0
Hand held from the car
Taken at 6.51am

[James Salywoda]

Gorgeous Portrait I love the fine details and that bg is outstanding.

[Sandesh R.Dhareshwar]

Brilliant Potrait with excellent details

[Robert Holguin]

Hello Stuart and what a way to start the year. Excellent portrait. Love the background and light, and the detail is just superb.
Well done.

[Hayath Mohammed]

Outstanding BG and light. The details in the eye are quite awesome.

[gail bisson]

Awesome IQ Stuart. I just love these birds. Aren't they called plovers now?
The BG is very nice,
Gail

[Chris Kotze]

May you also have a super 2012 Stu. Excellent portrait, super detail and colours

[Stu Bowie]

Aren't they called plovers now?

Gail

Thanks Gail. They were called plovers. Their new name is now Lapwing, and it goes for all the other 'plovers' too.

Thanks to everyone else for the kind words.

[Jeroen Stel]

Wonderful portrait Stuart! I have photographed "Masked Lapwings" in Australia recently who look a lot like this bird but it's nice to see an African relative!

greetings,

Jeroen Stel

[Daniel Cadieux]

Superb details, awesome background, and nice light. Although not centered I'd still prefer even less room at left, or more at right and below.

Our plovers are still plovers though!

[Jonathan Ashton]

Hey what a way to start the New Year, that is not bad, not bad at all!!! It has a real look of quality about it , I like everything, the colours exposure and the angle. I think the sharpening is absolutely spot on too - for the wattles and the plumage, I don't know if you applied differing levels to both but that is spot on.

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

Wwo Stuart. Great detail on this super portrait.

[Chris Martinez]

What a gorgeous face. That eye is so beautiful!

Looks super as presented.

[Sid Garige]

Colorful and super portrait Stuart.

[Stu Bowie]

Thanks a stack for all the kind words everyone. Always appreciated.

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Stuart, Happy new year to you. You take some great shots from the car. Well done on this one. the off-angle light is nice. great details and BG.

[Nico Steenberg]

Great portrait Stu, was nice to have a quick chat again !

[Stu Bowie]

Kaus, Nico, thanks a stack for your comments and feedback.