CA Quail

Well I got to take a break today and go shoot a bit. It is really the first time with good light I have went out since I got the 70-300mm Zuiko lens about 9 days ago. I have been anxious to put it through it paces. Every time it seemed to be good light before this afternoon I had work needed be done. :(

So I took off for about an hour and a half and found targets. Quail, mule deer and a couple of Bald Eagles, I'll probably show some eagle shot tomorrow. Shot all afternoon with the lens on with the Zuiko 1.4 teleconverter and because what was presenting itself to image I never got around to removing the converter to try the lens by itself. Had some good result and I am thinking at 226 bucks the lens was a bargain! :eek:
At least it seems to work attached to the converter.


http://upload.pbase.com/image/120527870/original.jpg

Hand held/cropped square -
Olympus Model E-3 Focal425 mm 1/100 sec
Aperture f/7.9 ISO Equivalent 400
Metering Mode center weighted (2) Exposure Program manual (1)
Processed from RAW with LR2/CS4

Let me know what you think.

Kim:

Very nice capture here. Sharp,nicely exposed,and composed.

I might try to tone down the foreground grasses a bit, esp. the ones overlapping the body, but all in all a very nice environmental image.

Sure is fun to have a new lens, esp. a bargain one that works for you!

Randy

Sharp with a good exposure as Randy noted and you chose the best possible perspective but the overall foreground and background clutter combine to kill the image for me....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Randy Stout

Kim:

Very nice capture here. Sharp,nicely exposed,and composed.

I might try to tone down the foreground grasses a bit, esp. the ones overlapping the body, but all in all a very nice environmental image.

Sure is fun to have a new lens, esp. a bargain one that works for you!

Randy

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Randy -
I will take a shot at toning down the fg after dinner and repost later. I almost worked that grass in front of the bird when I did the original pp.

Yes a new lens is usually fun and this one at that price is a bargain that I think will work well. I know many Oly users (there are some besides me) that are snapping them up at that price and I doubt it goes lower. It was not that I needed another lens but... it will come in handy for some extra bodies I have and sometime let folk use when they don't have their own and go out with me. You better believe that I will use it too. :D

Thanks for the comments and suggestions too as I do appreciate it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Arthur Morris

Sharp with a good exposure as Randy noted and you chose the best possible perspective but the overall foreground and background clutter combine to kill the image for me....

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The foreground and background clutter well represents where these quail are and live here and really represents the quail himself. It isn't a nice stroll down the beach believe me, that cover behind him is "way thick" and a few steps and he could be heard a peeping but not seen. It may kill the image for you but for some others, including myself, it makes the image. It is lots better then images of them in the middle of the street where they are often seen. See how we differ? It is all fun though ain't it?

Thanks Arthur for your comments.
Best to you and Merry Christmas.

YAW Kim. Including cluttered habitat in an image and justifying it by stating that it is "what is" does not make it a pleasing image for me and for most others. If you love it, than I love that because it is what it is. But do not plan on it winning any contests :) Thanks for the holiday wishes and ditto. And for your valued membership support.

Repost as per your suggestions Randy. I toned down the grass and foreground but also removed some too (not all as that next one would be a lot of work).
Thank you for your suggestions and help, it is very much appreciated.

http://upload.pbase.com/image/120536041/original.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Arthur Morris

YAW Kim. Including cluttered habitat in an image and justifying it by stating that it is "what is" does not make it a pleasing image for me and for most others. If you love it, than I love that because it is what it is. But do not plan on it winning any contests :) Thanks for the holiday wishes and ditto. And for your valued membership support.

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Arthur-
Honestly I find some of you replies condescending (just my opinion). As with anyone, and of course you are welcome to you opinion and to state however you wish. Now because it is your opinion does not necessarily mean that you are right or more right then others. I welcome and consider all opinions including yours for what they are, just opinions. I find no offense in differing opinion about images and appreciate the opportunity read and to consider them.

Let me comment and try to make a couple of thing clear to you Arthur:
1. I am on this forum to glean knowledge from and learn from the many talented people here and also to hopeful share some knowledge of my own that folks can consider and possibly learn form too.
2. I am not on this site for the purpose of "winning a contest' nor do I consider posts here from anyone to be contest entries.
3. In this thread I made statements about the habitat but not to justify anything to you. I do not have to justify anything to you about my images or style just because it is different then yours. I made those "habitat statements" to let my own opinion be known on forum and though it may be different then yours. I may do with my images as I please just as others can do with theirs as they please. For example I recently mentioned a color cast in someones image, afterwords they made the choice to leave that cast (photographer discretion). No problem, no skin off my back and they were not wrong in making their choice and I forwarded no "YAW" to them. I encourage them to keep the cast if and after consideration of it that is what they want to do.
4. To me your opinions on photography and other thing to are appreciated and important to me /and always considered./ However your opinions are not more important to me then the opinions of others on the forum. I do not necessarily consider yours to be more or most correct. I personally put a bit more value on some of the other members opinions on images and suggestions of pp, etc. then I do yours as they can and do reply with great knowledge and yet do not condescend. No offense intended here and yes I am aware of your successes so no need to go into that again.

5. I do like the image I posted but I did consider and like the suggestions Randy gave in his effort to help me. I have thanked him for his suggestions and help as they are appreciated too.

Merry Christmas.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts Kim. I follow you on all but the condescending part.

My honest feeling is that Randy let you off the hook a bit with his critique. I always need to give my honest opinion and will continue to do so.