A Kingfisher spotted at WWT Martin Mere | How I Captured It

As a lover of wildlife photography in the here and now, I like to capture every opportunity to get a perfect picture. With my recent visit to WWT Martin Mere, I had a lifetime experience where I managed to encompass a beautiful moment where I captured a kingfisher that had a fish in its beak while perched on a branch. I will go into depth on how I managed to take this picture below.

How I Captured This Photo and How You Can Do The Same

After hours of patiently waiting in the hide where the kingfisher is mostly spotted, I finally spotted the Kingfisher. As it was flying above the water, with reflection of its beautiful colours, of orange, blue and green, it swooped to catch a fish before perching on a nearby branch. The bird held the fish in its beak for a few moments, allowing me to frame the perfect shot. When I adjusted my settings and took the shot my heart raced.

The Camera Setting For The Shot

Shutter Speed: Use a high shutter speed, approximately around 1/2000th of a second, to freeze any quick movement.

• Aperture: A wide aperture ( or a low f-number) helps to accomplish a faster shutter speed and focuses on the bird.
• ISO: Keep this low as possible to immunise noise, don’t hesitate to increase the ISO if a faster shutter speed is needed
• Focus Mode: Set your camera to continuous autofocus (AF-C) to keep a track on the fast-moving bird.