Kereru: New Zealand Wood Pigeon

RobNZ · Jul 12, 2010

Spied this guy this afternoon having a feed in a 6 foot tree and wasnt too flighty allowing me to get quite close, the trouble as you can see is I couldnt really get a clean shot.

This is a native bird and I have heard they are quite tasty

, quite a large bird as well, maybe 3 times the size of an ordinary pigeon and when in flight the beating of their wings makes quite a distinctive sound.

1. this shot is probably the cleanest shot I have gotten of a bird to date, right down to making out the reflective detail of the clouds in the eye.

2. I am being observed. Missed the focus by {....} much.

3.

4. This duck just kept eyeballing me when I was doing post, lol.

C&C welcomed, thanks for looking.

altair005 · Jul 12, 2010

#2 makes me smile, focus off/or on... I'd print it!

benlonghair · Jul 12, 2010

First one is defiantly the strongest.

As for C&C, other than the missed focus which you already know about, there's not much technically wrong with the photos that I can see. Exposure is good, the balance of darks and lights works. The only thing I can say is keep shooting because the positions (especially of the duck) just doesn't work.

I do really like the first one, though. What lens were these shot with?

RobNZ · Jul 12, 2010

altair005 said:
#2 makes me smile, focus off/or on... I'd print it!

Its a keeper for that reason alone, we reacted the same it seems

benlonghair said:
First one is defiantly the strongest.

As for C&C, other than the missed focus which you already know about, there's not much technically wrong with the photos that I can see. Exposure is good, the balance of darks and lights works. The only thing I can say is keep shooting because the positions (especially of the duck) just doesn't work.

I do really like the first one, though. What lens were these shot with?

Thanks, the duck is posted not so much for compostion, no crop I tired would have saved it, technically it is good, again not the reason, the reason is cos that damn duck just eyeballs you, haha, not every shot posted is going to be winner. Its just one of those shots that no matter where I look in the frame I am always drawn back to those eyes.

All shot with a Canon 300mm prime.

Still a little gutted I couldnt get full "clean" body shot for that first one though.

benlonghair · Jul 12, 2010

RobNZ said:
Still a little gutted I couldnt get full "clean" body shot for that first one though.

I know the feeling. I feel the same way about this one.

RobNZ · Jul 12, 2010

benlonghair said:
RobNZ said:

Still a little gutted I couldnt get full "clean" body shot for that first one though.

Click to expand...

I know the feeling. I feel the same way about this one.

Ahh yep, I remember that one, fustrating!!

reznap · Jul 12, 2010

You take beautiful pictures. I love #1 and #3.

Eventer · Jul 12, 2010

haha that duck makes me laugh !
I like two aswell - it cute lol

RobNZ · Jul 12, 2010

reznap said:
You take beautiful pictures. I love #1 and #3.

Thanks reznap.

Eventer said:
haha that duck makes me laugh !
I like two aswell - it cute lol

Agreed, the duck almost looks like a decoy (its not though), probably because he was just was just feeding and the way the light hits water on his feathers.

Stephen.C · Jul 12, 2010

Amazing looking birds, I had to show my mom, she loved em too.

RobNZ · Jul 13, 2010

The first shot just aired on our biggest TV channel in primetime (TV One News)! I submitted the first 2 and they chose the first to go to air.

I just about had a fit, lol, then the phone started ringing and txt's galore,lol.