Results 1 to 18 of 18

Thread: Coming Home (Southern Masked Weaver)

  1. #1
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    14,858
    Threads
    1,235
    Thank You Posts

    Default Coming Home (Southern Masked Weaver)

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    I have always wanted to capture an image of these (common in South Africa) weavers. I even have them in my garden but their nesting attempts are always in dense reeds and the POV is quite high.
    I headed down to the Mankwe hide in the Pilanesberg National Park on Monday morning and was able to capture some images at a more pleasing angle in a more open setting. I was pretty pleased with this one!

    They are very quick, so I prefocused on the nest he was working on, set the aperture to 8 for enough DOF, and kept my other eye open to see when he would be flying towards the nest.
    Seeing the effort he puts into the building process (this guy was working on 3 new "homes"), I can think he gets pretty despondent if the lady inspects it, finds it wanting, and tears it apart, leaving him to start all over again!

    Techs:
    Nikon D3s with Nikkor 500mm f4 VR-II + 1.4xTC @ 700mm
    f8.0 @ 1/2500 SS @ ISO-1800 (auto ISO)
    Cropped from horizontal format
    Morkel Erasmus

    WEBSITE


  2. #2
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Bergen Norway
    Posts
    417
    Threads
    115
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Wow this one was a killer

  3. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  4. #3
    BPN Member jack williamson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    south mississippi
    Posts
    1,979
    Threads
    107
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    The yellows are right on and that eye really pops. Great wing position and a lot of sharp detail all over. Very well done.

    Jack

  5. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  6. #4
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Stoney Point, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    6,868
    Threads
    512
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Excellent image Morkel! I like the grass in the beak, IQ, colours and fanned out wings and tail.

  7. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  8. #5
    BPN Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Dallas, Texas.
    Posts
    6,260
    Threads
    426
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Killer shot, Morkel. great execution. light is perfect....and such clear view of the head. Awesome shot. Well done.

  9. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  10. #6
    Lifetime Member gail bisson's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Nova Scotia
    Posts
    12,731
    Threads
    910
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    I think you and Stuart must have been sitting side by side in the hide!! Lovely image. Good dynamic action and good techs.
    Gail

  11. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  12. #7
    BPN Member dankearl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Portland, Oregon
    Posts
    8,825
    Threads
    1,355
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    This is cool just for the nest.
    Another fine high iso PP from you.
    Very fine colors.
    Dan Kearl

  13. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  14. #8
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Long Island, New York
    Posts
    6,275
    Threads
    574
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Love it! All the above from me too.

  15. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  16. #9
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    6,588
    Threads
    643
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Beautiful action Morkel. I can only imagine how difficult this was to get- at least with the bird in focus! You got the wing angle perfectly. I would do a little touch-up top right and remove that little rusty coloured stick.

  17. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  18. #10
    Super Moderator arash_hazeghi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    San Francisco, California, United States
    Posts
    18,545
    Threads
    1,318
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    great shot Morkel, wing position was excellent. Was something blocking parts of tail looks like contrast was a bit lower in that area?
    you can post 800 pixels tall BTW
    New! Sony Capture One Pro Guide 2022
    https://arihazeghiphotography.com/Gu.../Sony_C1P.html


    ------------------------------------------------
    Visit my blog
    http://www.arihazeghiphotography.com/blog

  19. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  20. #11
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Somewhere in Africa
    Posts
    3,723
    Threads
    251
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    A cracker mate, one of your best (If not best) Avian!

  21. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  22. #12
    BPN Viewer Steve Canuel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    5,444
    Threads
    444
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Nicely timed Morkel. I like how the tips of the wings frame the nest.

  23. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  24. #13
    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Centurion, South Africa
    Posts
    21,360
    Threads
    1,435
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Mork, glad you had some action. I was there on saturday - pity we werent there at the same time. Great wing position and excellent timing. Your introduction explains it perfectly. As I didnt have a spotter either, this type of capture is not easy, so very well done.

  25. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  26. #14
    BPN Viewer Pieter de Waal's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Swaziland, Southern Africa
    Posts
    1,677
    Threads
    91
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Fantastic image Morkel, having tried this on a number of occasions I know just how difficult the timing is, they come in like bullets. Great wing position, eye contact and detail. TFS.

  27. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  28. #15
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    El Paso, TX USA
    Posts
    3,456
    Threads
    162
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Superb shot!!! Excellent timing, exposed very well, great comp, and excellent detail.
    Well done.

  29. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  30. #16
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    14,858
    Threads
    1,235
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks so much for the kind comments, folks...been waiting a while for this one so it's a treat to be able to share it here...
    Morkel Erasmus

    WEBSITE


  31. #17
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Northeast Ohio
    Posts
    306
    Threads
    23
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    WOW! This is great Morkel. Killer shot. Love everything about it. The fanned out wings are super.

  32. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  33. #18
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Johannesburg, South Africa
    Posts
    689
    Threads
    89
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Superb,Morkel ! I love the detail in the spread out wings and the HA.

  34. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post

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