A Tale of Five Bee-Eaters

A Tale of Five Bee-Eaters

Sometimes when you wait for a specific photo to materialize in front of you you're surprised by what nature makes happen when you least expect it. Case in point - this photo. I was waiting for a specific Bee-Eater to take off, then heard the sounds of them to my left. Turning my gaze I spotted five of them standing in close proximity, as if they're having a discussion. What a sight to behold!

What do I like about this photo? Five such colorful and beautiful birds in one frame and in close proximity - wow! I closed down my aperture somewhat (f/11 if I remember correctly), to have a larger depth of field so they're all in focus or close to that. The poses they're in are also interesting - one just arrived with an insect it caught, the second is observing him, the third is singing, the fourth looking at the sky, and the fifth looking at me.

What would I want to improve? I needed an even larger depth of field, so should have closed down my aperture further (f/16 or even f/22). The leaves are also partially hiding some of the Bee-Eaters, which detracts from the photo.