Osprey

[Rick Furmanek]

Here's a shot I took this past Saturday in the rain. Have been trying to work on in flight shots. Haven't had much luck. It's tough! But I'm not giving up. Anyway, this was taken over a small lake full of nervous waterfowl. Not as spectacular as I wanted, but I wasn't expecting an Osprey either!

1/640 s @ F/11
AV
ISO 800
800mm
100-400mmL + 2x extender
Hand held

Minor cropping performed - Sky removed from the left side.

http://www.lightchaserphotography.com/osprey.jpg

[Jim Poor]

There are some funky patterns in the sky that are not real noticeable until you see them. Then they distract a lot.
Exposure on the bird looks pretty good, but the eye doesn't look real sharp to me. I wonder if your processing has caused some problems that aren't noticed in the original.


I missed what camera this was on. The square format kinda throws me.

[Arthur Morris]

Hi Rick, Yes, please do let us know what camera was used. Thanks.

First off, using the 2X TC with the 100-400 is not recommended, especially for flight photography. I am assuming that you focused manually. Please confirm that.

While the exposure is pretty good, and I like the bird angled in the frame, this image has lots of funky stuff going on. The head is not at all sharp and there are artifacts there especially. The primary tips have been cut off, but in addition, parts of the outer wing look as if they were cut out or otherwise manipulated. And yes, when I tilt the screen away from me I see lots of posterization (blotchiness) there.

The good news is that you have lots to learn , both with image capture and image optimization. You have come to the right place to learn.

Later and love, artie

[Rick Furmanek]

Thanks for the feedback.

The camera is a 30D

I normally don't shoot with the 2x, escpecially movement shots. Again, I wasn't expect a fly over and he was beyond my 400mm's reach (that's what I was doing originally - shooting with just the 100-400mm trying to get some shots at water level).

The image was fairly dark (it was stormy and rainy). I suspect the 2x probably ruined the opportunity. The little raised part on the outer wing is in the original, but over enhanced with the Smart Sharpening.

I think I'm dealing with an image that is just too far off.

Yes, it was manually focused as AF doesn't work with the 2x.

Again, thanks for the feedback.

[john crookes]

`If this was photographed with a canon there hade to be some cropping as it measures ou to a 4 x 3.13 on this post

Please check your settings as this would account for some of the nits mention

Keep going at it

[Rick Furmanek]

`If this was photographed with a canon there hade to be some cropping as it measures ou to a 4 x 3.13 on this post

Please check your settings as this would account for some of the nits mention

Keep going at it

You're correct. My bad. Some sky was removed from the left side.

[Judd Patterson]

Hey Rick, glad you dropped in the forum here. As has been mentioned, you were using a lens combination that is extremely tough for flight photography...especially since you were zoomed to 400mm. Even if you didn't have time to remove the TC, you would have been a bit better off to have zoomed out a little (say ~350mm) so that you wouldn't have clipped the wing tips. I think you'll get another chance with this Osprey. :)