Kingfisher diving

FUDGEY · #1 (**permalink**) 21-08-2009, 11:52 PM

A few questions here, firstly what equipment would you need to obtain a picture of a kingfisher diving? Would an extra flash have to be set up beside the area you anticipate it's going to dive? I'm confident I've got a kingfishers fave hunting perch & I've already created a cut down barrell that I can place in the water which I could put some small fish in so that's sorted. What I'd like to know is what shutter speed you'd require to obtain a sharp shot when it's diving? On a day with good light I can get 1000th of a sec, but I'm not sure if this is quick enough. Prob not many people got experience in this field but thought I'd ask on the off chance.

ron1863 · #2 (**permalink**) 22-08-2009, 12:41 AM

I don't know but I'm sure Jeff will clue you in

FUDGEY · #3 (**permalink**) 22-08-2009, 02:00 PM

He will be the man Ron, I have just returned and aquired my best shots yet. Was only 5 yards from the kingfisher. Got a really good one when a buzzard came over heard and called and the kingfishers stretching it's neck looking right up at it. I'll post them on as soon as I can.

BillyPilgrim · #4 (**permalink**) 22-08-2009, 03:14 PM

I've thought about doing this myself as I have a well-used perch but unfortunately the light just isn't good enough. Maybe I'll give it a try when the leaves fall off the trees and it improves a bit.

If you have a barrel with plenty of small fish (meaning the bird will take several if its hungry) then you should have more than one opportunity to get the shots of the diving Kingfisher. So you can trial-and-error a bit.

I've given it some thought as to how I'd set the shot up. With the camera on a tripod and set at its highest frame rate I would set the lens to manual and pre-focus on the centre of the barrel. It might also be a good idea to orientate the camera to portrait so to get a 'taller' shot. I'd also use a shutter release cable so I could take my head away from the camera and have a good view of the bird when it takes off from the perch and the be ready to squeeze the release whilst the bird is still in the air..... hopefully!

For the first shot(s) I'd try for a shutter speed of over 1/2000s, cranking up the ISO if needed. If they look ok then lower the ISO a bit and try again.

As for flash I'm by no means an expert but I think you might have sync. issues at the higher shutter speeds.

ps. Depending on the brightness of the background you might also need to pre-set the metering.

Elevate29 · #5 (**permalink**) 24-08-2009, 05:44 PM

I'm in a similar position myself in that I'm trying to get action shots so would be interested to hear any tips! How wide/deep is the barrel you're using? I guess its the easist way to predict position but obviously I dont want to put the bird at any risk.

elevate

momji1971 · #6 (**permalink**) 24-08-2009, 10:39 PM

Just a quick addition to the flash problem. If you have a powerful flash head, get yourself a flash extender. It works along the same principals as a lighthouse lens. At reasonabley close range you should get a usuable amount of light at h/s settings. Think I managed 1/1500 sec on some dragonflys. All depends on the light and iso settings.

regards.
Stu.

pressld2 · #7 (**permalink**) 24-08-2009, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elevate29

I'm in a similar position myself in that I'm trying to get action shots so would be interested to hear any tips! How wide/deep is the barrel you're using? I guess its the easist way to predict position but obviously I dont want to put the bird at any risk.

I know it's how the professionals get those incredible shots of kingfishers diving or erupting from the water with a fish in their beak, but the use of fish in a barrel worries me deeply. One tiny little miscalculation and you've got a dead kingfisher. Is there some way of making the barrel highly visible to the bird but not to the camera? They must have very good eyesight to spot the fish in the first place, and they're also pretty adept at avoiding naturally occuring underwater obstacles so maybe I'm being over-cautious.

As for the flash I would use an off-camera flash set up close to the action and triggered remotely. But you'll also want excellent natural light as you'll need a shutter speed of at least 1/1000 sec to freeze the action, probably faster*, and if there isn't enough natural light to get a decent exposure at that speed then you'll end up with a nicely exposed kingfisher against a very dark or even black background.

Also, unless you can afford some very specialised (and therefore very expensive) flash equipment you'll be limited to one photo per dive. My D300 will do 6 frames per second but the flash gun can't recycle anywhere near that fast. The first frame will get full flash, the second will get a very under-powered flash and the next four will get nothing.

Dave P.

*All I know for sure is that 1/100 sec is nowhere near fast enough!

FUDGEY · #8 (**permalink**) 24-08-2009, 11:30 PM

Yes light will be critical, I was talking to my expert friend and he says that the pros set up fish traps and there cameras can shoot 9 frames a second! How easier would it be with that equipment?
The barrell I'm going to use is blue and has a 3ft diameter. Light coloured sand is used and about 4 inches of water is put in it. It's weighted so just about 5mm of the lip of the barrell is sticking out the water. I'll get a good few normal shots before I attempt the tricky stuff.