Thank you kpmac..... appreciate your comments.

Thank you Gary.... very beautiful indeed. And those eyes!!!

Thank you jdedmonds. I agree - a very beautiful bird. In fact it's the first I've actually ever seen though I believe they're reasonably widespread and I live in a rural area myself (and I'm 71 years old)! If interested, Google Black-shouldered and also Letter-winged Kite. Again - thanks.

Thank you UTMike….. appreciate your comment.

The Black-shouldered Kite (BSK) is a predatory hunter which, though not particularly common, can be found throughout most of Australia. The BSK is a very beautiful white bird with contrasting black shoulder feathers, however its most distinctive feature is its mesmerizing owl-like orange/red eyes. It hunts either by skillfully hovering or by perching high - usually in a dead tree and observing the surrounding area. When a target, usually a field mouse, lizard or even a small ground bird is sighted, it will swiftly dive and snatch its prey with powerful claws and fly back to its perch. I was fortunate to photograph this one at the moment of take-off before diving onto its prey.

(See download)

Nikon D500 camera
Nikkor 500mm f/4E FL ED VR lens
Manfrotto monopod

f/6.3 @ 1/5,000s ISO 500 (taken 18 May 2018)

Processed using Nikon NX-D (RAW) and Photoshop Elements 14 (JPEG)

(Download)

We have many bird species in Australia, however we don't have Hummingbirds. This is a somewhat unfortunate for me personally, as over time I've developed a passion for watching and photographing tiny birds.... I love that they're often colourful, very restless, always on the move and challenging to photograph. Although we don't have Hummers, we do have our little Eastern Spinebill.... hope you don't mind if I share a few images of them from time to time.

I invite you to check-out the download.

For those who may be interested:

Nikon D810 camera
Nikkor 500mm f/4E FL ED VR lens
Nikon SB-900 Speedlights (two)
Better Beamer
Tripod + Wimberley gimbal

f/9 @ 1/320s ISO 400
Taken under overhanging bush at 6:42pm in early evening poor light

Processed using Nikon NX-D (for the raw) then Elements 14



.

(Download)

That link didn't work for me, try this...... www.rpphoto.com

Click on Articles then click on 'How I Got The Shot: Long Tailed Sylph. Good luck

Thankskpmac. It's not the shutter duration - the image is produced by the very short duration of the flash whilst the shutter is open. This is the very same technique which has been mastered by one of your countrymen. See this.... https://rpphoto.com/Articles/View/1/...g-tailed-Sylph And again thanks

I've previously posted images of our Eastern Spinebill which is a very small honey-eater. We don't have Hummingbirds in Australia, however the Eastern Spinebill comes close. I was lucky to catch this little fellow as it dived towards a Grevillea bush with has its favourite nectar producing blossoms.

(Download)

I was lucky to catch this juvenile Grey Fantail cavorting in front of its Mom in my birdbath in the vey late afternoon after a particularly hot day.

Nikon D500
Nikkor 300mm f/2.8
Nikon SB-900 Speedlights (four)
Better Beamer
Tripod + Wimberley gimbal head
Bird-hide
Bird-bath in native garden

Flash - Off-camera master (with Better Beamer) and three remotes
Master @ 1/32 power, A&B @ 1/64 & C (background illumination only) @ 1/32 power

f/11 @ 1/250s (max sync speed for D500) ISO 400

Processed using ACR & PSE 14

(Download)

Thanks

Thank you. This was taken from in my garden from a hide..... I now have several semi-permanent in different areas. From memory, lighting was from three or four Nikon SB-900 Speedlights at reduced power in high speed synch mode.

This is a style I'm currently working very hard to perfect. A long way to go yet!!!!

Again - thank you.

Thanks Earl. I suspect many objects, particulary man made, would look very interesting when shot vertically (straight down).

Good stuff Earl.... I think you're onto something special here. Looking at these images, I can certainly appreciate the attraction of drone photography. Aside from your beaut images of farmlands, there's mountains, wetlands, deserts, rivers, coastlines, towns as well as man-made structures all waiting to be photographed from a different perspective. The possibilities are almost endless both from a recreational and commercial viewpoint. Aside from a very few specialists, this style of photography has never been mainstream. Certainly an emerging genre in photography, particularly as the technology improves.... and it will.

I'm curious Earl. Your images are all angled - can it shoot vertically..... straight down?

The Lewin's is a mid-sized Honeyeater found in the south eastern areas of Australia. Such behaviour is very rare as hovering in a stationary position consumes an enormous amount of energy for a bird of this size. I was very fortunate to catch this one as it maneuvered momentarily to seek out nectar from a native blossom.

(Download)