This is an Amazon kingfisher I photographed in the Pantanal region of Brazil. I was surprised that this bird allowed our boat to get within about 10 feet of it. This is uncropped; I used a 500mm f/4 Canon telephoto, and my settings were 1/1000, f/4.0, and 4000 ISO. The depth of field was extremely shallow, but fortunately the kingfisher's eye, beak, and chest feathers were all on the same plane. That enabled me to retain focus on all of the important parts of the bird. I used a fast shutter speed because I was handholding the big lens in a boat. I prefer to visit the Pantanal at the cusp of the rainy season in late October or early November because the skies are mostly cloudy. That provides the kind of attractive diffused lighting you see here. During the summer, which is peak season, not only are there too many boats vying for the same vantage points, but the lighting is mostly harsh.
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