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A visitor in my back yard earlier this evening. The SB800 came in really handy as I was focussing from about 5m away in pitch darkness. Your comments, as always, are welcome. To me it looks flat, almost as if it was pasted in. Any ideas how I can "lift" it? I've adjusted the curve and contrast but that's about it. (EXIF: 70-300G, 200ISO, 145mm, 1/5@f8)

Top pic Simon, he got his beady lil eyes on u.LOL well done.

Thanks John - he's probably wondering who the bird brain is with the blinding light.

Hi! Manta,

I have had similar results with my SB800, I came to the conclusion that using the flash where the subject does not have a background that is also "lit up" to give some definition and perception depth to the subject results in the "flatness". The result as shown is, just blackness.

My thought was to use a second, say SB600 remotely at an angle with difuser say, to give highlights to the edges, but then, by the time this is set up the bird and the moment would have gone.

Methinks you are being a bit to critical of your efforts, by the way, I love the pic!, the DOP is spot on!

Regards, Andyt

That looks very good to me Simon... Considering the circumstances I'd be very happy with that capture... Was it a bit of a scramble to get all the camera bits together before it flew off???

What type of owl is that? I've not seen any like that down here... only the frogmouth...

ps...........you could try replacing the black background, but would be fiddly around the feathers.......

It's a good shot, Simon. Those were very difficult shooting conditions. It's flat because the flash is the only light and is straight on. Dunno how you'd change that in post.

What kind of duck is that?

Thanks guys for your comments and advice.

AndyT: I take your point about the additional light source and that would have been a great option. Now if only I'd won last month's Challenge... I was so worried about losing the little bugger; my Jack Russell was leaping up and down at the fence almost nipping his tail feathers!

Leek: Yes it was definitely a mad scramble! The family wondered what had happened; the dog went nuts, I went out to shut him up and then came bolting back inside to get the gear!

This is a tawny frogmouth (Podargus strigoides). Very common and you are probably looking straight at more of them than you realise whenever you are hiking around the bush in the daytime. They freeze and look like broken branches and you can pass within a few metres of them and never know they're there. Also, like all owls, their wings have evolved to be silent in flight. It's really quite eerie to see them take off or land without even a whisper. You need a Jack Russell to detect them!

Kerry: Thanks for your input. I've tried a few different things in PS and have to agree with you - not a lot that can be done! Maybe PS-Guru MattK has some ideas...

Matt:

It's a Quackisium silentus.

Manta

WOW!

Mate, this is terrific! Great clear eyes, good detail, terrific eye-contact, it's hard to get much better on a reactive wildlife/animal shot... Well done I reckon...

I'm extremely humbled by the positive response folks. Thank you very much.

Matt. K wrote:What kind of duck is that?

Very funny. I laughed out loud and the missus wanted to know what was so funny

Didn't get it at all

Nice work Simon! BTW you have been very quiet for a few days

If it were underwater I would have moved a little to the left so that I wasn't so straight on to his face and put the second strobe (right side) about a stop down. May have given a bit more shape to the head.

Hey Stevo.

Busy at work - you know the drill.

I tried repositioning myself but the bugger kept looking straight at me each time. They can turn their heads about 340 degrees. I didn't have a chance!

Busy at work - not me the last few weeks

Too much wind and rain but it will all be better on Sunday when I jet off to Vanuatu for a week of undeserved R&R - diving (no bending allowed), photographing and generally do not much

Sorry

How is that new job going anyway