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A day on the kingfishers...

A day on the kingfishers...
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Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

settings

Aperture f/5.6 ISO 2500 Shutter 1/1600 Focal Length 600/1

upload_date

Oct, 2015

Views

203

Likes

+20

Awards

Fall Award 2020

Top Choice

Superb Composition

Absolute Masterpiece

Outstanding Creativity

Peer Award

Behind The Lens

Location

The image was one of a number taken at a nature reserve in Cardiff, South Wales, UK, which a number of Kingfishers frequent because of the ponds that contain a healthy population of sticklebacks. The ponds are fringed with reed beds which allow the Kingfishers a large number of easy perches to use, as well as some that have been set up to entice them to use the ponds.

Time

The image was taken at approximately twenty minutes past one in the afternoon on a rather grey day that unfortunately meant that the light was rather on the flat side.

Lighting

The flat lighting due to the overcast conditions meant that the contrast was poor and conditions dim, so I deliberately shot with a slower shutter speed than I would normally have attempted in order to keep the ISO to a level where noise would hopefully be constrained for post processing purposes whilst being fast enough to keep the head area sharp.

Equipment

When I took this I used a Canon 1D MkIV camera which features a 16mp APS-H sensor, with a Canon 600mm f4 IS USM 'L' Series prime lens, mounted on a Jobo gimbal head and Gitzo 3 series carbon tripod. I rarely shoot flash with wildlife, preferring to try to use ambient light whenever possible. I do own a Canon 580 EX flashgun and a Better Beamer, but to be honest I am yet to learn how to use it effectively!

Inspiration

I have always enjoyed the challenge of photographing wildlife and trying to capture those little moments that show something different about their behaviour to most other species. The Kingfisher is a bird that I had photographed many times, but the chance to catch one in a hover had been on my wishlist for quite some time and so I was exceptionally pleased to nail a few at last when I got these.

Editing

The image was processed using Canon's own proprietary DPP software in order to crop, perform noise reduction, and process image brightness, (other camera gear and software is available...) and then it was imported into lightroom to make minor enhancements to contrast, highlights and shadows and clarity etc, all adjustments were made to try to ensure that whilst the final image was sharp and clear and 'popped' at the viewer, it gave no impression of being false or unrealistic with colour tones etc.

In my camera bag

These days I now normally carry a Canon 1DX MkI with 500 f4 prime for wildlife, along with Canon's two latest mkIII extenders - a 1.4x and 2x. If I am shooting landscapes or multi-purposing on the same day then I will often have a 16-35 f4 and a 24-105 f4 along as well. I also now carry a wimberley head, gitzo 3 series carbon tripod and a pair of 8x Vortex Viper HD binoculars whenever I am after wildlife. I do use the 500 handheld on occasions, but it is normally tripod mounted. I sometimes carry scrim netting or a pop-up hide (with or without chair) as well.

Feedback

Practise, practise, practise! Do not get disheartened by slack days or missed attempts - use it to learn from. Try to learn where your chosen quarry can be found, visit the location as often and at as many times of day as you can until you can ascertain quarry patterns, and then just plug away. Learn your camera inside out and learn how to make the most of what you have. If in doubt on gear, buy the best lens you can afford and put a cheap camera on the back to start with - cameras get better as the years go by and this years monster purchase will be next year or the year afters bargain, but top quality lenses hold their value much better and have infinitely longer replacement cycles meaning less opportunities to get real bargains. Also, if you keep trading up on lenses it will cost a fortune in the long run!

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Flutter By

A day on the kingfishers...

Behind The Lens

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