danwillisphotography
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I’m very fortunate to have a mill pond opposite my house that this kingfisher has called home. I have set up a little portable pop-up hide on the pond and spend as much time as I can capturing images of the Kingfisher. This photo was a stroke of luck when a little blue beetle appeared on the same twig as the Kingfisher.Time
This was taken mid morning, the mill pond is heavily covered with trees so you get lovely dappled light at certain times of the day.Lighting
All natural lighting.Equipment
This is taken with a Nikon Z9, Nikon 500mm f4G VR lens on a Gitzo series 5 tripod and Gitzo Fluid Gimbal head. I use a nighthawk pop up hide/blind.Inspiration
I absolutely love Kingfisher, you could say they’ve become something of an obsession.Editing
Light editing using Adobe Lightroom, exposure, contrast etc I then run the image through Topaz Denoise as the shot was taken with an ISO of 5600.In my camera bag
Nikon Z9 Nikon 500mm f4G VR Nikon z70-200mm 2.8 Sigma 105mm macro Gitzo series 5 tripod Gitzo fluid gimbal headFeedback
This kind of shot is all about knowing your subject, by this I mean understanding the behaviours of Kingfisher and where they are likely to perch. Then it’s patience, sometimes I would sit in my hide for hours with no visits. Finally when the exciting moment arrives it’s about you knowing you camera well, the ability to adjust settings without taking your eye away from the viewfinder.