Kingfisher

Best of the bunch from a slack day on my first ever KF experience. I will take the 5DmkII & 500 combo next time as this was a bit tight at full frame.

IDmkIV, 500 f4, 1/1250, f7.1, ISO 500, bean bag in hide

Bob

A 'classic' pose Bob with a nice BKG.

The image looks quite saturated with red, reducing this gives a cleaner look & feel and the moss looks more 'natural' in colour. You can also extract a lot more detail from within the eye giving detail & form to the focus point.

Looks like the same location as Phil E's image a while back.

TFS
Steve

I liked this the first time I saw it Bob - especially that clean BG, and it looks about right in the frame to me

Good looking image, Bob. As already mentioned, the super smooth BG gives great isolation for the KF

Andy...

Thanks fellas.

Steve. Processing is not my strong point but I will certainly have another look at it. I guess the BG suggests the location.

Bob

Lovely and well composed shot.

Lovely shot, agree about the eye and it is a tad dark but a quick slide with levels and you have a brilliant shot there! I do not mind tight.

Bob, it's very simple to correct and the image IMHO will improve greatly, just look at the WB to start with, did you add any additional saturation? Ditto the eye, there is truck loads of detail in there, just needs coaxing.

I guess the BG suggests the location. - Yep.

I'm looking at this on an uncalibrated works monitor, but I have to agree with Steve, it does look dark in places and especially around the eye. Nothing that can't be dealt with though.

David

Thanks for the advice fellas. Just got LR4 for the Mac and so will this image out with it over the weekend. The version posted has had nothing done to it apart from cloning a very small piece of the perch.

Bob

Bob

A cracking image in my book, I'd really like to get results that good.

Slight nit mentioned, otherwise it's a great shot Bob

Oscar

BG is superb. Super sharp on big image.

Looks good, very sharp and great comp everything else is just a matter of presentation, and the location, is irrelevent the quality of the image is all that counts, and the quality is there mate

I agree - on my gear this looks a little dark but easily sorted (Avoiding the cheek patch of course )
Phil has raised an interesting point about the location being of no interest- I wonder ? It has been mentioned so someone obviously thinks it is This subject has been raised a few times I know.
Cheers
JR

As most of my photography time is spent on three local farms without kingfishers I had no issues with paying to get some. I give talks to RSPB groups etc, and I feel that it is important to be able to show this iconic UK species

My only reservation with using a set up hide site like this would be if someone used an image from one in a competion or passed it off as truly wild during a lecture.

Bob

Bob no nits from me it's stunning.

Keith.

Stunning image Bob and the nit has been covered re brightness. Interested in your comments re "wild bird".....are you saying that a bird photographed from a hide is not truly wild or has this bird become semi-tame due to habituation to a hide which would not necessarily mean human? Interesting concept.

Nick.

Concerning the "wild" comment , I suppose its no different from doing birds on a nut feeder in a garden ???

JR