Cropped. Raw Developer. SD15, 50-500 OS @ 413mm - ISO100 1/50s (this shot was added after article was posted so text talks about below shot only)
SD15 @ ISO1000 (pushed from ISO400), 50-500 @ 500mm
I drove to the same spot today, alone. And it was empty (normally there are plenty of photographers and interested waiting for the kingfisher to show), I turned off my cars engine before reaching the spot so that the bird, if present, wouldn’t be scared. From my window I could see the water and there, on a little stick that others had prepared for people like me, there he was! Sky was cloudy and everything was thick grey – a couple of degrees plus and wet.
I did as I saw others do the day before, I opened the cars window and used the window as support for the Sigma 50-500 OS lens. Distance was a bit too much but I got close enough to see the bird. This shot came out heavily under exposed – shot at ISO400 but pushed 1.5 stops in SPP so it’a really around ISO1000. It’s shot at 500mm so you can imagine that I was sitting pretty far away from this little bird. I couldn’t take more as he flew pretty short after my arrival.
Next time, I wonder if I could hide a couple of flashes somewhere.. I wonder if that would scare him off? hmm.