Buff-tailed Coronet

I captured this naturally lit shot at a minimal set-up at 8,500 feet in Tatamá National Park. The super smooth background suggests I employed an artificial backdrop, but the completely natural effect was generated by shooting the subject against a very distant mountainside with a touch of cloud in the intervening valley. With such a well-lit subject and a clean frame, I went with a wide crop to get away from the tighter crops on which I usually rely. 1/3200 was the faster shutter I used in the entire trip, almost by a factor of 10! It was like shooting shorebirds in California!

Tatamá National Park above Montezuma Ecolodge, Risaralda, Colombia 6/26/19
Canon 600mm f/4 IS II on EOD 5D Mark IV
1/3200 at f/5.6, ISO 800