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Amakihi
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Amakihi

by KC Choo

Gallery: AvianPosted January 21, 2011146 views17 comments
From a Forest Preserve in South Kona, Hawaii a couple of days ago. It had rained all morning and sporadically in the early afternoon, so I finally got this as one of my last shots waiting in my car-hide for about 2 hours. I did get other shots but this was the one I wanted. Hope this is not too dark, as I processed this on my laptop.

I'd have to say that this has been one of the toughest shoots I've had - these birds (and especially the Apapane) are the most shy and, as my good friend Charlie van Tassel described, "squirmy"! They stay long enough at the O'hia flower for no more than a couple of seconds, and then one click and they are gone like a bat out of hell!

1D MkIV, 700mm, 1/320 @ f7.1, ISO800, fill-flash manual, car window HH, grey overcast skies, all natural, camera shutter set to "Silent" mode single shot.

Thanks for looking; your C & C appreciated.

Comments

17 comments
Comment posted by Charlie VanTassel on January 21, 2011 at 1:30 PM
This looks great, Kwan. I always like when you can capture them with their food source. These guys take a lot of patience. Well done! :toast:
Registered on October 18, 2006, 644 Posts, 4801 Comments
Comment posted by Monica Siri on January 21, 2011 at 1:39 PM
Great capture of this beautiful bird, KC! I really like the O'hia flower too. Congrats! :toast:
Registered on September 20, 2009, 132 Posts, 3764 Comments
Comment posted by Luke Ormand on January 21, 2011 at 3:26 PM
That bright flower adds so much KC especially with a drab scene and subdued color scheme on the bird.
Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments
Comment posted by Simon Bennett on January 21, 2011 at 4:55 PM
A fine capture of bird and food plant.
Registered on February 4, 2007, 350 Posts, 4614 Comments
Comment posted by Mia McPherson on January 21, 2011 at 6:18 PM
This is wonderful KC, lovely setting, pose and comp.
Registered on June 25, 2007, 491 Posts, 12566 Comments
Comment posted by Dottie Short on January 21, 2011 at 6:59 PM
The exposure looks nice and the fill flash is complementary but not obvious. Love the turned-down beak and the red flower. Composition and BG very nice. All in all you persistence paid off.
Registered on April 12, 2010, 61 Posts, 375 Comments
Comment posted by David Williams on January 21, 2011 at 8:45 PM
It's a beauty, KC. I know Hawaii has gotten a lot of rain lately....my son and his family live on Oahu now. You did great in getting one of these "squirmy" guys!
:toast:
Registered on March 8, 2005, 315 Posts, 2291 Comments
Comment posted by Gary Marquart on January 21, 2011 at 9:19 PM
Very nice KC, the flower really adds to the photo. :toast:
Registered on October 24, 2009, 126 Posts, 799 Comments
Comment posted by Albert Darmo on January 21, 2011 at 10:13 PM
Hi KC :wavey: You did a great job of capturing this skittish beauty in it's natural habitat :eek: A marvelous capture with great detail :toast:
Albert Darmo Canada
Registered on November 25, 2008, 1386 Posts, 11978 Comments
Comment posted by Dennis Plank on January 21, 2011 at 10:48 PM
Brightness looks fine on the little netbook size laptop I'm using, Kwan. What's the forest preserve? I'm going to be in that area in a couple of weeks. Very sharp. :toast:
Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments
Comment posted by Gary Gulash on January 22, 2011 at 1:08 AM
This has it all KC, beautiful colorful habitat and a hard to get bird out in the open. Expertly photographed as usual. Congrats on this one!
Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments
Comment posted by Mauro Pasquero on January 22, 2011 at 4:10 AM
Very lovely capture, KC. To me it is a very nice imagr !
Mauro
Registered on January 21, 2010, 650 Posts, 2500 Comments
Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on January 22, 2011 at 5:08 AM
Perfectly lovely shot, K.C.! How satisfying to get what you were after! Suggestion maybe to crop from the right and to blend in the brighter white line that goes out from the bird's head– if it fits with your image making standards, that is. Of course the bird is beautiful and having the flower there really is super. Well done! :cool:
Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments
Comment posted by Rob Drummond on January 22, 2011 at 6:29 AM
Lovely setting, comp and detail KC - well worth the wait

cheers
Rob
Registered on November 8, 2003, 617 Posts, 8267 Comments
Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on January 22, 2011 at 9:33 AM
What cool looking bird KC. Love that curved beak. The flower is a stunner and adds a ton to this super image. Kudos on the time it took to get this shot. Well done.
Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments
Comment posted by Sharon Hallowell on January 22, 2011 at 10:31 AM
Patience, patience, patience! It paid off big time for you here with this wonderful shot! Sharon
Registered on November 1, 2003, 392 Posts, 4810 Comments
Comment posted by Barbara Graham on January 23, 2011 at 12:04 AM
Such a really pretty image, great comp, beautiful little bird and flower.
Registered on July 27, 2010, 1310 Posts, 5035 Comments