OUR APPRENTICE says…

This image of an African darter drying its wings in the early morning sun was taken on our final day on the Chobe, and by then I had my exposure settings pretty nailed! The dark background, and even darker plumage, meant that I had to dial in exposure compensation of -1.67 to stop both the water and the feathers from looking washed out. An aperture of f/11 ensured that the tips of both wings were sharp, while still keeping the background nicely blurred out and – to Lou’s lasting satisfaction – perfectly clean. It’s the gorgeous golden light on the bird’s feathers that make it, though – that and the graceful curves of its neck, tail and wings.