Instinctively I try to get as close to a subject as possible, often ignoring the “big picture.” One recently early morning, however, there was a substantial amount of water between me and the Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) that I spotted on a fallen tree and there was no way I was getting closer.
I concentrated on focusing, thinking I would probably have to crop a lot, and on composition. Almost despite myself, I ended up with an image that I really like, an image in which the kingfisher is only one element of an early morning landscape.
There is definitely a benefit sometimes in not getting closer to the subject.
Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Congratulations a hard bird to shoot.
Nice shot!
Thanks, Allen.
Wow I’ve never seen a belted kingfisher before!
Thanks. They are very beautiful birds, but skittish, so I have never been able to get close-up shots of them.
Yes kingfishers are like that- it’s so hard to get a good shot of them!
Great shot, you should have done the pic pre crop to show how far away you were.. 🙂
The photo was posted had only a minor amount of cropping done to it. Initially I thought about having a tighter crop that would have made the kingfisher fill up more of the frame, but decided I liked it this way.
Wonderful photo, Mike. I love the whole composition. I’ve tried for years to get a good Kingfisher shot, but without luck. They never seem to capture the true color like yours did. So glad you posted it.
Thanks, GInny. I steadied myself on the railing of a viewing platform on the boardwalk, which helped me get a pretty sharp shot. As for the color, I think it helped that it was early morning, when the colors seem purer and more saturated. Sometimes the more direct sunlight will wash out the colors.
Great photo, Mike! I’m glad you didn’t crop it, I think it’s a great composition as it is.