Underwater Photography: Diving Kingfisher, Meadow Pond, Germany
Diving Kingfisher
How I got the Shot:
I used a Nikon D3s built-in housing, Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8, and a two-flash Nikon SB 800 with remote switch.
Manfred Delpho
In winter, kingfishers look for open water to hunt. When a food source happens to be in the garden of a nature photographer, it’s a stroke of luck for both.
A few years ago in fall, a kingfisher came to my home, where two little ponds with warm springs don’t freeze even in the coldest winter. To photograph the bird up close, I built a camo tent on the banks of the ponds. Gradually the kingfisher lost his wariness and allowed me to come very near.
To get the underwater pictures, I built an aquarium into the pond — I brought in small fishes, and the kingfisher quickly learned to fish from it, but it still took many weeks to get the pictures.
Manfred DelphoHow I got the Shot:
I used a Nikon D3s built-in housing, Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8, and a two-flash Nikon SB 800 with remote switch.
In winter, kingfishers look for open water to hunt. When a food source happens to be in the garden of a nature photographer, it’s a stroke of luck for both.
A few years ago in fall, a kingfisher came to my home, where two little ponds with warm springs don’t freeze even in the coldest winter. To photograph the bird up close, I built a camo tent on the banks of the ponds. Gradually the kingfisher lost his wariness and allowed me to come very near.
To get the underwater pictures, I built an aquarium into the pond — I brought in small fishes, and the kingfisher quickly learned to fish from it, but it still took many weeks to get the pictures.
