Open mouth in open beak

I am not a nature photographer and I would not recognize a Kingfisher if it jumped out and bit me on my nose. I do, however, understand the patience that it takes, or the serendipity, to capture a great shot like this.

If this is not a composite, and he says it is not, then this photographer deserves all the praise he gets. I hate to be a sceptic but on his website he has captured this same bird, on this same branch, with a fish in its mouth no less than six different times. I would love to here what other nature photographers would have to say about the odds of this happening.

Regardless, it is an image worthy of praise.

Dear Guy Scrivner

You have a small faith ah? Its OK so am I.

Do you really think I have JUST 6 similar photos??

I have hundreds of them on this branch! And more then 5 Gigabayts of kingfishers photos all together.

To make you shure I am attached gif animation

I made with 12 combined photos of kingfisher preparing his diner

(there was 15 photos by I had deleted 3 long time ago),

all 15 I took in 30 seconds thanks to burst capabilities of my poor old camera.

 

Thanks for looking and good evening!

Earlier in the discussion Ilia described his method thus - "I was in a hide with the camera, monopod, lots of water and patience. The branch was placed there before, in exact place I wanted the bird to be."

 

What we are seeing is the difference between good fortune and good planning. I have never played golf but was it Arnold Palmer who said "people call me the luckiest golfer alive. Funny thing is the harder I practise the luckier I get"? Seems relevant here too.

I find it strange that there are those who question someone's ability to successfully capture many shots of a kingfisher. Sounds like someone who doesn't believe that carrots can be chopped at high speed manually with a knife because he himself is unable to do so :)

 

Well done, Ilia.

Ilia: You have been to kind to me. I thank you for your patience and your thoughtful explination. I said before, I am not a nature photographer and now I know why. Much to much patience would be required to capture the shot...and then to deal with those with lessor skills like me. I bow to you and beg your forgiveness for my doubt. I look forward to seeing more of your work and I have rated this picture a 7/7. Congratulation on POW.

 

Richard: Would it surprise you if I said I was not very good at golf either?

 

Amran: I tried that once and cut my finger.

 

To all: You have given me a new appreciation for nature shots that I did not have before. Thanks. In the future I will try not to be so skeptical.

Amazing shot! Seems shot by the Elliot Erwitt of birds, if you get what I mean, a good shot that can actually make you laugh. As someone who spends some time trying to get good shots of birds, I highlight the patience it takes to just get close to this kind of pictures, let alone getting so many of'em... Great work.

Guy - you are not the only one, we all do it now. This seems to be a good time to refer to a discussion between myself and Don Guindon of one of Josephine Chervinska's photographs. Although very few photographers are outright dishonest, many have been known to utilise vagueness at one time or another. As a result, instead of being in awe of extraordinary photographs of the natural world that appear to represent photojournalism, we are skeptical first.

Wonderful Picture.... doesn't that fish though just look like it's going OH *****!!!! :)

Richard Watts: To clarify - It was in fact South African golfer Gary Player who said "The more I practise the luckier I get."

 

To the phototgrapher - What a great shot! Having tried to get similar I can appreciate the patience and precision it must have taken to get such a shot. The head being a bit dull is not a problem - the eye follows from the head to the beak to the fish- in no way does it detract from the photo. The out of focus branch is debatably off-putting, it isn't for me and I would presume getting the DOF right to put it in focus might have caused other problems. Maybe in a laboratory with a stuffed bird one would have the time to get every single aspect of the photo clinically correct - in the real world with a skittish bird it would be most challenging. Great Work!

This is a truly unique photograph. A picture you should truly

consider sending to major wildlife competitions, Ilia, and I'm

almost certain you'd have nice surprises.

 

All the criticism I read on this page is, this time, completely

missplaced in my opinion. If a viewer can't fully appreciate the

priceless capture this picture represents, or if a viewer wishes to

concentrate on "optimal" lighting and other details, my honest

belief is that this viewer needs to learn or re-learn how to

appreciate the value of so-called "perfection" versus the value of

a truly original capture.

 

This is perhaps the neatest and most original bird shot I've seen

on this site so far. I truly hope the photographer won't let this one

sleep in a drawer... Congrats !

Excellent technique. Planning and patience are great virtues of a photographer. If I had

those, I will be a world renowned photographer. I am not, yet. And I take photographs of

the things that do not move.

Keep shooting. Congratulations.

You've caught the moment that can't be reproduced. That is why it is an ART.

Very well done! I know how difficult it is to capture Kingfischer,

it needs to be very patient!

Excellent!!!!!!

 

Piotr

Sorry for the late response Ilia, but I must congratulate you on one of the most outstanding nature shots I ever had the priviledge to enjoy. I didn't read the thread above, and my comment will only state the obvious, but the kingfisher is such a special bird to capture, and the fish with the wonderful angle and expression with mouth open, also leave me open-mouthed ...

 

Totally inspirational and exceptionally well-captured photograph. I am in awe. How much is an original print?

Terrific timing! The interval between this moment and the time the fish is swallowed whole is extremely short. Some may call it luck but it does not detract from the skill of Ilia. This just shows what dedication can give you.

Thank goodness for an actual photograph this week! Well done.

I second Marc G. above.

 

Put this baby out there! A++

Although I would think it perfectly acceptable to knock down the values on that branch...

excelent !!! i love it !!!!

By far the greatest bird photo I have ever seen!

You can't help but enjoy the paradox here. Two open mouths conveying two different feelings. The color and detail is superb! I have tried shooting kingfishers before and they rate as one of the most skittish birds I've ever sought. Speeding bullets is what I call them. Makes this image all the more special. Stunning image Ilia!

Hi

 

Really great photo!

 

Best regards from Sweden

Omar Br䮮str�m

http://www.pbase.com/omar_brannstrom

WOW !!!!!!!!!!!

Nothing to critic IMO... whether you like or don't like animal pictures, here is a great animal picture!

Bravo Ilia!

Incredible, it enchants the detail of the fish, the expression and the cleaning to me of the same one, a guessed right execution