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Amethyst Sunbird II (PAW 3/52)
Amethyst Sunbird II (PAW 3/52)
HarveyG


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: Sigma 100-300mm F/4.0 EX IF HSM for Nikon
Location: Assegay, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa
Aperture: 5.0
ISO: 1600
Shutter: 1/1250
Galleries: Birds
Date Uploaded: Jan 14, 2013

Viewed: 324
Comments: 22
Favorites: 0

 I spotted this female Amethyst Sunbird prior to the male and tracked her to her nest which she was still building. The male does not build at all, lazy sod :) She was wary but far more accommodating than the male and I could get to within 2 meters of her once she had become used to me. I have quite a few shots of her and this is by no means the best. I do like the still head yet motion in body and wings. She was leaving the nest as I took this shot. It does seem oversharpened and I am trying to get to grips with my new D7000 and it's vastly sharper and more colourful sensor than the D90/D300s. I avoid the Nikon Scene Mode "Vivid" like the plague and only shoot "Standard" or "Neutral" so that if I chimp I can see what I shot. The light was patchy under the foliage forcing a high ISO which thus far the D7000's more advanced sensor seems to handle quite well.

This is another lifer for me (1st sighting of this species). I hope you enjoy my portrayal of her.

Any comment or critique; complimentary or critical are welcome and appreciated.

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

for Photograph a Week 2013

Version 2 for sfalice:


the Male:

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AuthorThread
 02/11/2013 03:59:23 PM
Very similar to a hummer in size and flight. All photographed in the wild although this one was building her nest close to a residence.
 02/10/2013 11:13:13 PM
She's pretty! I've never heard of them before. Are these birds flying in the wild where you life or is there some kind of preserve that they all flock to? And is this bird similar in structure to a hummingbird?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/02/2013 08:28:01 PM
What a great capture. The speed of the birds make them hard to captue but you have done a great job.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/21/2013 01:22:52 PM
You do awesome bird shots!! Very impressed with what you have posted to date
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/17/2013 12:00:40 PM
I did thanks Alice. Here's the result:
01/17/2013 11:02:48 AM
Amazing what you can do with a camera and a 300mm lens, Harvey!
what a beautiful nest this little lady is going to have.
One "nit pic" - and it just could be my ignorance.
If the background was lightened just a tad would this bird be easier to find?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/15/2013 06:15:32 PM
Not the best one!? Still impressive - a wonderfully spontaneous alternative to the static bird shot. Great angle and sense of movement.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/15/2013 03:10:02 PM
There's the girl, always aware of onlookers.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/14/2013 08:28:24 PM
Originally posted by Dennisheckman:
Since she was leaving the nest, maybe she didn't like that piece of grass? Well spotted. Odd yes, I wondered why but maybe she was nervous about me being so close so I backed off for a while and let her be.
01/14/2013 07:53:16 PM
Not as showy as the male, of course, but a very pretty little bird. I like the unusual hooked beak shape and I love the motion blur on the wing.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/14/2013 05:21:02 PM
I like that you captured her with nest building material in her beak. Since she was leaving the nest, maybe she didn't like that piece of grass? Even at 1/1250 there is still significant motion. I would have thought you would end up with more frozen action. Congrats on following her and getting this capture!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/14/2013 03:50:20 PM
Great shot of a beautiful bird. Not easy as they are never still.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/14/2013 01:07:25 PM
Originally posted by Ann:
For a shot like this, though, I'd probably shoot in raw. I shoot in RAW and have done no additional sharpening in camera settings, seldom in PP. I am ecstatic with the results from the D7000 and the Sigma 100-300 f/4 when the focus is on.


thanks Ursula, I can't imagine what the 36MP must be like to manage...
 01/14/2013 12:45:57 PM
I really quite like this one. I like the selective focus on her head, and the nest, then the movement of the wing and body. I also like that she seems to be looking right at you. It's really pretty cool.

On the sharpening, when I'm shooting jpeg on my D800, I have a custom mode set up that's basically camera neutral, with sharpening turned completely off. I can control the sharpening much better on my computer if I don't have to deal with an image that's coming out of the camera pre-sharpened. For a shot like this, though, I'd probably shoot in raw.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/14/2013 12:10:34 PM
i love how the head is tack sharp and the wings are all a flutter
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/14/2013 07:48:04 AM
This is fantastic. I do enjoy your portrayal of her.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/14/2013 06:35:10 AM
Nice pic again, I had to look quite a while to see the bird is actually upside down (the head looks normal, but she's twisting her head I suppose). Amazing that you still have motion blur in the wings while using a shutter speed of 1/1250s.
It must be amazing to be that close to these birds and be able to take pictures like you do.

As for the D7000, I think it is a great camera indeed. High ISO up to 1600 is not a problem (depends a bit on the background). The fact you're avoiding Vivid Mode indicates you're shooting in JPEG, not in RAW? As you probably know, you can adjust the settings for the different Picture Control Modes to your likings.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/14/2013 04:53:49 AM
Originally posted by Abra:
Terrific capture! I really like the motion blur and colours. A suggestion would be to isolate the background and reduce the intensity of the fluorescent green. The bokeh otherwise is beautiful.


I actually have an edit with the fluorescent reduced but posted this one to see if that would come up. It did :)
 01/14/2013 04:41:01 AM
Lovely Harvey
I also like the stillness of the head and the motion in the body, and I think it is lovely to see a part of her nest. Very nice capture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/14/2013 04:31:25 AM
Terrific capture! I really like the motion blur and colours. A suggestion would be to isolate the background and reduce the intensity of the fluorescent green. The bokeh otherwise is beautiful.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/14/2013 02:44:25 AM
What a beautiful bird - congrats on the firsts as well! I too like the wing showing motion and it will be a treat to see what other photos you have taken of her.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/14/2013 02:35:47 AM
Looks like an old geezer. hehe. Nice to increase your tally of sightings. I also like the increased motion from the head to the tip of the wings.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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