Tropical Rainfall

Gallery: AvianPosted May 30, 201163 views6 comments

Canon EOS 7D, EF 500mm f/4L IS USM + 1.4x TC @ 700mm, Shutter Priority, f/5.6 (1/800 sec), ISO 640, 0 EV, Tripod, JPG from RAW, Cropped About 20% from Full Frame

Subject: Crested Serpent-Eagle

Location: Sabah, Bornean Malaysia

Situation: A sudden tropical downpour drove us to shelter wondering how long it would be before we could get back out in search of something wonderful to photograph. Perhaps because I wasn't sulking or moaning about the situation, Mother Nature rewarded me by directing my attention to this splendid Eagle in a tree not all that far from were we were standing! The Eagle didn't seem at all phased by the rain; clearly it was far more interested in sighting a potential meal.

The rain came down for about 45 minutes and I spent the entire time shooting this subject from every conceivable angle from our sheltered spot, which weren't all that many! The most challenging aspect was the low ambient light though, but fortunately I had plenty of time (the Eagle searched in vain for prey from it's perch) to experiment with various exposures and settings, and ended up with a number I'm relatively pleased with, this being one of them.

Thoughts, comments, and suggestions always welcome :^)

Comments

6 comments

Comment posted by Terry Sohl on May 30, 2011 at 11:41 PM

Cool! I very much like the feel of the shot, with the rain and dripping branches. Great shot for showing where these birds live. Bravo...

Registered on November 1, 2003, 513 Posts, 6889 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on May 31, 2011 at 8:40 AM

Great setting and detail Ashley - particularly considering the conditions

cheers
Rob

Registered on November 8, 2003, 617 Posts, 8267 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Walters on May 31, 2011 at 11:07 AM

Like the drops of water and the way the branches frame the bird. Really shows the birds environment as well.

Registered on October 30, 2005, 405 Posts, 3693 Comments

Comment posted by David Sparks on May 31, 2011 at 8:44 PM

The eagle looks not at all perturbed by the downpour. I really like the habitat/weather-conditions aspect of this one. The water droplets on the bird and the branches, as well as the rain droplets in the BG are, for me, very positive aspects of the image. Well done!

Registered on May 26, 2007, 290 Posts, 4270 Comments

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on May 31, 2011 at 10:34 PM

Many thanks for taking the time to view and offer comments Terry, Rob, Dan, and David :^)

Registered on March 1, 2011, 154 Posts, 2083 Comments

Comment posted by John Tobias on May 31, 2011 at 11:40 PM

Another good image! Too bad about the thin branches, they sort of distract, on the other hand they also help to set the area the eagle was in.

Registered on September 12, 2009, 2120 Posts, 6455 Comments