Shooting animals in the zoo seemed to me a bit like shooting fish in a barrel - cheap photography. However, it's January and I didn't want to shoot pigeons in the garden, and Trafalgar Square shots are probably way too cheesy.
So...I sold out and went to the zoo. This beauty, a Lilac-breasted Roller, really captured my eye with the colours, so I spent three days trying to get it right. Of about 200 shots over three days this was the best quality I could get under the lighting - 1/800th at f5.6 on the 100-400 at ISO 250(ironically this shot was taken just before sunset, hence the gold tones in the light). I needed it to be as pin sharp as humanly possible and flashing wasn't an option so bracketed ISO whenever I had the chance. I made sure that the eye was sharp and then hoped for similar DoF with the rest of the bird, and the profile shot suited it perfectly.
This is I think best view to show the amazing colours, although afterwards I looked up the bird on google images to see how the pros might have shot it and I prefer my pose (others don't show the rich royal blue feathers on the back).
PP: convert from RAW, contrast, vibrance, saturation, levels, resize, border, noise ninja, usm, save for web.
My last three entries have crashed and burned heavily so I'm hoping this will be a decent 6.
Post Challenge: My first 7! Shame not to ribbon but the standard was really high so it's all good.
Also massive thanks to DrAchoo, Dwterry and anyone else that helped me out in the 'Nature and camera mode' forum thread. I'd be stuck with an ISO 1600 image were it not for the forum help.
Statistics
Place: 4 out of 251 Avg (all users): 7.1896 Avg (commenters): 7.9615 Avg (participants): 7.1400 Avg (non-participants): 7.2342 Views since voting: 17778 Views during voting: 460 Votes: 211 Comments: 46 Favorites: 13 (view)
I still believe this should have gotten a higher score - like we have never seen eagles eating fish (#3). Fantastic soft colors AND great detail!! Great job!!
I looked up Lilac-breasted Roller on Wikipedia (which I now see you did too), to 'double check' whether this bird was from Costa Rica - and to my surprise it is not:
"The Lilac-breasted Roller, Coracias caudata, is a member of the roller family of birds. It is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula, preferring open woodland and savanna; it is largely absent from treeless places. Usually found alone or in pairs, it perches conspicuously at the tops of trees, poles or other high vantage points from where it can spot insects, lizards, scorpions, snails, frogs, small birds and rodents moving about at ground level. Nesting takes place in a natural hole in a tree where a clutch of 2–4 eggs is laid, and incubated by both parents, who are extremely aggressive in defence of their nest, taking on raptors and other birds. During the breeding season the male will rise to great heights, descending in swoops and dives, while uttering harsh, discordant cries. The sexes are alike in colouration."
Beautiful bird and image/profile of it - lucky for you you didn't have to go to Africa to capture it. Well done on your high placing. edit:typo
One of my favourite birds, makes me long to be on safari this very minute. Amazingly sharp and wonderfully vibrant detail... lovely light, perfect DOF to create that wonderfully rich blurred backdrop. Love it!
One aspect of photography is to show the viewer something he's never seen before -- and you've certainly done that! What an amazing creature. The photo is good and sharp and I like the background. Well done.
Fovus is a little soft, doesn't quite POP. Composition is a little too far right, not leaving the subject any room to move into the frame, otherwisw very nice.
He looks peeved. Also considerably more colorful than the last one I saw at the zoo, but that was a different time of year. This one is something like a feathered rainbow. Nice composition and detail.
he looks a little long in the tooth but even so a very colorful fellow indeed,well framed and composed-10! wish we had them here...very beautiful bird.
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