Elevated perspectives are compelling and often dramatic, and at the same time they are unexpected. For example, no one espects to see a bird flying below our point of view. We are always looking up at birds in flight, not down on them. I shot this black kite in Ethiopia from the top of a cliff, and the bird was using the up drafts to glide effortlessly on the wind. I liked the way the sunlight reflected on the wings and backlit the head.
The real challenge with shooting birds in flight, of course, is the focus. I use the focus tracking mechanism (AI servo) as well as all the autofocus points, but still -- it's not always perfect. You usually have to shoot a lot to get something good. In this case, I spent about 20 minutes and took enough pictures to get this one tack sharp.