Eastern Kingbird Landing

Gallery: AvianPosted June 17, 2011427 views25 comments

After having returned from shooting in Yellowstone (mostly mammals) with Ken Archer and the Coastal Camera Club, I had a couple of free hours before my flight home earlier this week. I spent them at some ponds on the way to the airport at Bozeman, MT. There were a pair of kingbirds hunting from cattails. I would prefocus on the perch they were leaving from and when they returned fire off a round. This was my favorite image, I wish I had had more time with them but I had to catch my flight. It's cropped to vertical from horizontal. The light was kind of coming from behind and the side so there was no way to get detail in the tail band.

7D 500F4 1/2000 F7.1 iso 500, evaluative metering -0.7, handheld

Comments

25 comments

Comment posted by Phillip Tomkinson on June 17, 2011 at 3:33 PM

Hi a super image Nate.

Phil.

Registered on July 14, 2005, 194 Posts, 427 Comments

Comment posted by Verdon on June 17, 2011 at 3:34 PM

AWESOME, congrats on a-mazing shot!!!!

Registered on June 10, 2011, 147 Posts, 1444 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Huff on June 17, 2011 at 3:44 PM

A great image Nate. Nice detail in the kingbird, and a wonderful job on the BG and handling the light.

Ron Huff

Registered on August 31, 2010, 69 Posts, 440 Comments

Comment posted by May Haga on June 17, 2011 at 3:58 PM

Excellent shot Nate. Love the spead of the wings and the tail.
May

Registered on February 22, 2007, 714 Posts, 8470 Comments

Comment posted by Jenaya Launstein on June 17, 2011 at 4:06 PM

Awesome shot! I love the spread out wings and tail! Great detail in the feathers, and you even have a catchlight in his eye! I also really like the background colours.

Registered on February 8, 2011, 254 Posts, 1302 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on June 17, 2011 at 4:22 PM

Excellent, Nate. I really like the landing pose and thanks for sharing the technique.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by Angela McCain on June 17, 2011 at 5:59 PM

I like this landing shot, Nate. The back lighting has created a pleasant translucent effect to the wing and tail.

Registered on April 19, 2009, 367 Posts, 3589 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on June 17, 2011 at 9:51 PM

Great job Nate, nice detail/DOF and perfect timing on this landing.
Dynamic pose and a wonderful view of the action..
Can't ask for more

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments

Comment posted by John Launstein on June 18, 2011 at 2:54 AM

Nate: This is beautiful. The light and mood is very pleasing, sharpness is incredible, but it's the expression in his face and the capture just a moment from grasping his perch that really add drama to the image. I guess in a perfect world he might have come in at just a slightly different angle to show off his right wing a little more and separate it from his face better, but that's a pretty minor nit on another great capture.

Registered on April 5, 2011, 223 Posts, 1193 Comments

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on June 18, 2011 at 4:43 AM

You've perfectly captured those delicate wings and shown their beauty and sheer elegance in wonderfully soft light, takes my breath away Nate, many thanks for sharing :^)

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

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on June 18, 2011 at 8:46 AM

Terrific frame, very well captured !!!
Jagdeep Rajput

PS. I just noticed, you are just one zero ahead of me, you at 15003 and me at 1503 (Comments).

Registered on April 29, 2008, 686 Posts, 2857 Comments

Comment posted by Charlie VanTassel on June 18, 2011 at 10:13 AM

Nice to freeze this one in motion in this subtle lighting. Well done, Nate.

Registered on October 18, 2006, 644 Posts, 4801 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Balke on June 18, 2011 at 12:06 PM

The backlighting on the sharply defined wings really make this shot, Nate. The pose that you captured with wings and tail spread emphasizes that light advantage beautifully.

Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments

Comment posted by David Sparks on June 18, 2011 at 12:16 PM

I like the unique pose and lovely BG.

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

Comment posted by Craig Strand on June 18, 2011 at 2:55 PM

Very nicely captured Nate,beautiful BG also.

Registered on March 30, 2008, 416 Posts, 2885 Comments

Comment posted by Ray Whitt on June 18, 2011 at 3:14 PM

Wonderful capture! Great wing detail also,

Ray

Registered on May 27, 2011, 92 Posts, 2619 Comments

Comment posted by Roger Leekam on June 18, 2011 at 4:01 PM

Great image, Nate. I actually like the bright tail band and also the bright back margins of the wings, but I'm not a purist.. Excellent detail & background.

Registered on May 28, 2009, 83 Posts, 646 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on June 18, 2011 at 5:15 PM

Very nice Nate. Super sharp and a great BG. About as well exposed as you could do with the light.

Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on June 18, 2011 at 8:51 PM

Great detail and light despite the tail end. I love the pose as well.

Registered on June 30, 2009, 300 Posts, 5051 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on June 18, 2011 at 11:47 PM

Very sweet lading shot Nate. I actually like the backlight on this. I think it makes it more dramatic. Great work!

Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on June 18, 2011 at 11:59 PM

Great catch Nate!!! Your first adventure in the Yellowstone area ended with a sweet opportunity.

Ken Archer

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by Fabio Giarrizzo on June 19, 2011 at 4:20 AM

A killer shot- Great detail, pose and a perfect background for this image- My congrats, Fabio

Registered on December 3, 2010, 90 Posts, 1614 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on June 19, 2011 at 6:05 AM

Great detail and light through the wings Nate

cheers
Rob

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

Comment posted by Dan Walters on June 19, 2011 at 4:08 PM

Very sharp! LIke the light filtering through the wings.

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

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on June 21, 2011 at 12:13 PM

Nice prefocus approach to get them from the cattails, I like the wing spread and the way the light comes through and the background really adds to image, way to go.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments