These fork-tailed little birds fly like miniature fighter jets, but a naked 500 f4 IS coupled with a machine-gunnish 1D Mark IV, without the handicap of a teleconverter, is fast enough to catch one in the middle of a banking maneuver. The head turn has just the right angle to produce a nice catchlight from the late afternoon sun.
I've been very busy with non-photo activities lately and this was the first time in many months that I shot BIFs again. I'm pleasantly surprised that my aging eyes and rusty reflexes are still good enough to freeze feathers in mid-air.
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Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica , migrant)
Habitat - Coast to above the forest in high mountains.
Habitat - Coast to above the forest in high mountains.
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| Shooting info - Candaba wetlands, Pampanga, December 29, 2013, 1D MIV + 500 f4 IS, 1/2000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 640, manual exposure in available light, Manfrotto 475B/516 support. |
