Almost a decade ago, wildlife photographer Alan McFadyen captured a shot that would become legendary: a kingfisher diving perfectly into the water, not a single splash in sight. The journey to that flawless photo was nothing short of monumental – 4,200 hours and 720,000 photos over six painstaking years.
“I would often take 600 pictures in a single session and not get a single one that was any good,” McFadyen told The Herald Scotland at the time. “Looking back on all those thousands of photos, I realize just how much work went into that one image.”
The shot quickly went viral, admired for both its technical precision and its sheer beauty. The kingfisher, with its brilliant plumage and lightning-fast hunting skills, had finally met a photographer patient enough – and precise enough – to capture it perfectly.
Now, 10 years later, McFadyen has revisited that same challenge but this time equipped with the latest technology – his new Nikon Z9. The photographer decided to replicate the original Kingfisher dive photo, curious to see how modern camera advancements would change the game.
The results were staggering.
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Where it once took him 6 years and 720,000 shots, the new setup allowed McFadyen to capture a similar image in just six minutes and seven photos
Image credits: alanmcfadyen
Bored Panda reached out to the photographer to find out more about his latest kingfisher shot and what was going through his mind at the time. Here’s what he shared with us: “After the dive, I scrolled through the 30 burst images I took, and when I got to the 7th one, I just shook my head and smiled. I knew I had done it again. I said to myself this surely can’t have just happened so quickly.” He also added: “I then thought I’m going to get accused of AI here as people won’t believe lighting has struck twice. I didn’t have that concern 10 years ago, as AI wasn’t a thing.”
The image looks different from the original, but it’s just as thrilling to capture
Image credits: alanmcfadyen
The original 2015 shot
Conditions this time weren’t ideal – it was heavy rain – but the new camera worked magic
Image credits: alanmcfadyen
When asked about the noticeable differences between his original Nikon D4 and the new Z9 in terms of speed, focus, and handling, Alan said: “It’s night and day. Every aspect has improved beyond belief. The focus locks on its eye, even travelling at almost 30mph, whereas the D4 I had to manually focus and hope for the best. The Z9 is a much lighter camera, and this makes obtaining such an image much easier. The Z9 also offers 30 frames per second over the D4, which was around 12 frames per second. This is a massive help when photographing a bird that hits the water like a bullet”
Because of the low light, McFadyen had to use four flashes on low power to freeze the action
Image credits: alanmcfadyen
Image credits: alanmcfadyen
Lastly, we were curious about the biggest lesson McFadyen has gained from his decade-long journey photographing the kingfisher, and Alan kindly responded: “It has to be patience and belief. It’s made me realise that no matter how big an obstacle is in front of you in life there is a way over or around it. This doesn’t just apply to photography; it comes into play for all life challenges in my eyes.
This photo alone has made it really sink in how fast technology has moved in such a short space of time.
Creating a camera from a D4 to a Z9 in around 500 weeks is simply mind-blowing to me now that I think more deeply about it. We are all guilty of taking things like this for granted, but technology is moving faster now than ever in history, and it makes you wonder what’s coming next.”
Image credits: alanmcfadyen
This remarkable side-by-side of old vs. new doesn’t just show technological progress, it also proves it’s proof of human persistence and passion
Image credits: alanmcfadyen
The leap in technology, combined with McFadyen’s years of experience, underscores how far wildlife photography has come. From long, grueling sessions with high-end DSLRs to near-instantaneous results with advanced mirrorless systems, patience and perseverance remain vital, but the tools now amplify a photographer’s skill dramatically.
For fans of wildlife photography, it’s a reminder that the magic of nature – and the perfect shot – is always worth the chase
Image credits: alanmcfadyen
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