Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus)

26 January 2008

Rajiv Gandhi(Nagarhole) National Park, Nagarhole, Karnataka, India

Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS and 1.4xII on Canon 1D Mark III
ISO 200, 1/800 @ f8, Manual Exposure using Sekonic L308s Lightmeter

We were driving on the Karmoda road at Nagarhole when we noticed this Brown Shrike perched on the road side. I had noted the meter reading from my lightmeter and had put that value in my camera. If the difference in stop values between the subject in light and the background is mopre than 2 stops, you get a dark background like what is seen here.

One tip in bird photography for any beginners - Drive down the country side in your vehicle and shoot from it. Your vehicle is one of the best hide to shoot birds.