Not There!

[Arthur Morris]

I was on my way down to the lake for an easy walk when I came across some Black Vultures enjoying a road killed possum for breakfast. The hip that I hurt in Barrow has been bugging me from sitting at a computer 14 hours a day since I got home from Galapagos :)

I forgot my BLUBB so I rested the 400 DO IS on the window frame. Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/800 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode.

Don't be shy; all comments welcome.

[Morkel Erasmus]

nice one Artie...saw one of these guys the other day at Sun City doing flying exercises (tame one).
sweetly exposed showing good action - I'm wondering if cropping even more from top and bottom (more pano) will make it better?

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Mork. Sun CIty, FLA??? I am fine with the crop; that why I cropped it as I did :)

BTW, covered the face/front end of another vulture from behind the subject with a QM.

[Joe Senzatimore]

Beautiful exposure and dark details. I might take some off the bottom as well.

[Charles Wesley]

Artie,

Sorry to hear about your hip. Hope it gets better soon. Know about injuries. Still in PT from knee surgery last year. Back to 60% right now so thankful.
Really like the color, exposure and detail here. Like to use my beanbag or window mount.

Thanks for sharing...
__________________________
Charlie Wesley
St. Augustine Beach, FL
http://naturesphotographs.com

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Charley. Getting off my butt for a walk each day has helped.

[Morkel Erasmus]

yep - at Sun City - the one where they play the million dollar golf tourney...
what does FLA stand for?

[Arthur Morris]

That would be Sun City, Florida. Where is your Sun City?

[Morkel Erasmus]

oh hehe - Sun City is a casino/hotel resort in South Africa next to the Pilanesberg National Park - one of Sol Kerzner's brainchilds. :)
so that black vulture was a looong way from home.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks. Do they occur regularly in South Africa or was it a first?

[Morkel Erasmus]

they don't occur here in the wild at all (that I know of)...this one was a tame one that they had at a raptor's display on the estate, don't know where they got it, but the local owls they had were all rescued from farmer's traps so this might be a similar case, although I don't know how it got to be in our country :)

[Arthur Morris]

That makes sense as they are not long distance migrants.

[Scott Frye]

I like the detail in the blacks and just a bit curious about the +1 stop -- did you shoot at different stops before nailing this exposure. For instance a shot with no adjustment, a shot at half, at shot at full stop, a shot at 1 1/2 etc.

[Manos Papadomanolakis]

beautiful forground/bg color,composition...head details!

[Arthur Morris]

I like the detail in the blacks and just a bit curious about the +1 stop -- did you shoot at different stops before nailing this exposure. For instance a shot with no adjustment, a shot at half, at shot at full stop, a shot at 1 1/2 etc.

+1 was my first choice and was actually a bit under (as I would expect from a MIV in low light). I did not go lighter as I wanted to maintain some shutter speed as the were jerking the opossum around quite a bit. Once your understand exposure theory (ABP), learn your camera, and understand digital exposure and histograms (ABP II), you should be nailing most of your exposures (or coming within a 1/3 stop of perfection) with your first frame.

You folks should have tried getting the right exposure with film....

[denise ippolito]

Artie, Exposure, BG colors and HA are all perfect. I love the title.:)

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks all. By popular demand. With apologies to Morkel and Joe, I think that I like the repost better :o

[Stu Bowie]

Excellent exposure on the blacks Artie, it shows up so much detail. Although Im looking on my laptop, I would maybe darken the BG a tad.

[Michael Zajac]

Artie, I like the background and the exposure looks perfect. The repost is subtle.

[Morkel Erasmus]

repost is better for sure...but not by much :D

[Krijn Trimbos]

I always feel like the eyes of these Vultures are too far at the back of the head. Makes them look weird. Very cool shot, good head angle, nice separation from the BG and excellent scene. I prefer the repost. TFS