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Ntlheki bafazi
Ntlheki bafazi
HarveyG


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Shoot From Behind Your Subject (Advanced Editing VII)
Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: Sigma 100-300mm f/4.0 EX IF HSM for Nikon
Location: Carlswald, Midrand, Johannesburg, RSA
Date: May 31, 2013
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 1600
Shutter: 1/800s
Galleries: Animals, Birds
Date Uploaded: Jun 2, 2013

 Image awarded 3rd Place Prize winner June 2013 Mazda Wildlife Photography
but gets a 'Meh' 5.5833 / 42nd place on DPC:


The Green Wood Hoopoe (Phoeniculus purpureus) is a large, up to 44 cm long, near-passerine tropical bird native to Africa. It is a member of the family Phoeniculidae, the wood Hoopoes, and was formerly known as the Red-billed Wood Hoopoe. They are common but are constantly on the move and very wary. They have the most fabulous laughter/call and are very sociable birds.

The Zulu's call them "Ntlheki bafazi" because they make such a racket when hunting, searching for bugs. This translates to the "chatter of noisy women" :) I can vouch for that!

Another one from my "difficult to shoot" Wildlife Series. Scant opportunities for me (of this species) since I went digital in 2009. They've been near impossible to photograph unless you are in the exact right place, right time and they don't see you.
I Leopard crawled - behind him to get this shot. This one was hopping about digging in the bark catching insects on my plot. They are often in the shade so a sunlit moment like this is few and far between.

For BiF, they swoop fly, meaning there is a fair amount of vertical up and down movement as they beat their wings and images are also quite difficult to get.

They are my favourite bird of the 900+ species found here in Southern Africa.

RAW NEF-TIFF, EV -1.0, Cropped, cloned out twigs, enhanced contrast and saturation, sharpened, resized, sfw.

Any comment or critique; complimentary or critical are welcome and appreciated. Questions about gear, technique etc. also welcome.

This image is © copyrighted 2013 by Harvey Grohmann. Duplication, publication, copying is strictly forbidden and protected by law. To obtain pricing and consent contact me via Photocommission.com

Statistics
Place: 42 out of 90
Avg (all users): 5.5833
Avg (commenters): 9.0000
Avg (participants): 5.5000
Avg (non-participants): 5.6522
Views since voting: 2404
Views during voting: 164
Votes: 84
Comments: 5
Favorites: 0

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AuthorThread
Panasonic DMC-FZ30
 07/03/2013 02:39:51 AM
Nice bird shot its a shame it didn't place higher
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III
Olympus 45mm f/1.8 M.Zuiko Digital
 06/10/2013 02:04:48 PM
Such a beautiful bird with pretty colors. Love the lighting and the bokeh.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D500
Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM
 06/10/2013 10:39:00 AM
Absoluut wonderbaar. What's wrong with the voters on this site?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon Canon 1d x Mark II
Sigma 85mm f/1.4 FG HSM Art
 06/10/2013 12:12:18 AM
wow I can see why you were so upset at the beginning, I felt it was in the spirit of the challenge, nicely done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
Canon Canon 1d x Mark II
Sigma 85mm f/1.4 FG HSM Art
 06/04/2013 09:09:24 AM
I'm not sure I've seen such a sharp and vivid bird ever on here like this one, WOW!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
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