Let's build

Gallery: AvianPosted July 4, 201180 views10 comments

A shot of a female Malachite sunbird with some building material. I took this pic in the Addo national park in South Africa. In hindsight I should have increased the DoF.

Camera Model Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/800
Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
Exposure Compensation 0
ISO Speed 250
Auto ISO Speed OFF
Lens EF500mm f/4L IS USM +1.4x
Focal Length 700.0mm
White Balance Mode Auto
AF Mode AI Servo AF

Comments

10 comments

Comment posted by Alan Murphy on July 4, 2011 at 4:17 PM

Nice clean image and great behavior catpured here. A bit tight in the lower left corner for me.

Registered on December 3, 2003, 192 Posts, 739 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on July 4, 2011 at 4:18 PM

A lovely image of the bird. A step smaller in aperture (perhaps also with a jump in ISO) would have gotten the back foot in focus. My only nit. Really well done!

If you are comfortable with it, I would also clone out the stem poking the bird in the belly.

Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on July 4, 2011 at 5:04 PM

Crisp details, good light, nice behaviour and a killer BG...
What more could you ask for?

Registered on March 22, 2011, 385 Posts, 2068 Comments

Comment posted by David Sparks on July 4, 2011 at 5:09 PM

I like the diagonal perch with thorns, the nest building material, sharpness of the bird, and the lovely BG.

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

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on July 4, 2011 at 7:02 PM

I like that you left the web on the perch in the image. Nice clean bg

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

Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on July 5, 2011 at 12:37 AM

A fine shot of an interesting bird. The cobweb is a nice touch.

Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on July 5, 2011 at 8:07 AM

I like this Neal. Dead sharp on the head and bill, clean background, interesting perch with spider web and nesting material in the beak all appeal to me. Agree with you that more DOF would have made it even better.

Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on July 6, 2011 at 2:28 AM

Lovely detail and background Neal. Maybe tone down some of those spines a frac??

cheers
Rob

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

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on July 6, 2011 at 5:05 PM

Good pose and look from the bird and the background really makes the bird/perch stand out, I like the detail and cob webs, well done.

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

Comment posted by May Haga on July 8, 2011 at 5:04 PM

Nice to catch the bird with building material. Very nice image.
May

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