Canon 7D
Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L
1/1250 f/6.3 ISO 400
Crop for composition, levels, sharpening in CS6
NR on BG in noiseware 5
Wilson's Phalarope
Canon 7D
Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L
1/1250 f/6.3 ISO 400
Crop for composition, levels, sharpening in CS6
NR on BG in noiseware 5
Ian,
Lots to like here, nice subject placement and clean muted background. This is a beautiful bird and you show it with grace and pride. The opportunity here might be post processing. Moreover, curves or adding more mid-tone with levels,..adding a bit of punch or even contrast. Consider removing the brown streak above the bird as well,..use crop tool to blend.
Just curious, how large was the crop the IQ is alright but the image is not critically sharp. You controlled the frame well and show the beauty of nature,..well done my friend.
Last edited by Jeff Cashdollar; 09-23-2012 at 01:44 PM.
Hi Ian, my thoughts about this image are similar to Jeff's. I don't see critical focus anywhere in the image. The eye is very dark and there is only a hint of catchlight. This would have been a good time to use the pop-up flash on your camera. On the plus side, it is a beautiful bird and you are fortunate to have the chance to capture it. I like the water droplet in the bill being pulled apart, that is very different and interesting.
"It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera... they are made with the eye, heart, and head." - Henri Cartier Bresson
Please visit me on the web at http://kerryperkinsphotography.com
Ian,
Did you meter this scene with 0 exposure compensation?
I ask because of the noise I notice in the image.
Many times an image that needs to be "brought up" in levels will add noise.
Looking at this scene, I would have added at least 1 stop of light to the metered value.
A very serene setting -not much to add that other's hav'nt already mentioned. I really like the low angle used.
Kerry, agree that the use of flash would've added to this scene- is there a way to use the pop-up in HSS on the 7D? ASFAIK, 2nd curtain is the only option available when the settings menu is opened, it defaults to 1/250 SS.
Last edited by Randall Farhy; 10-15-2012 at 03:14 PM.
Thanks, all. No exposure comp used, Captain. It is always a struggle balancing SS with exposure when I handhold as I did here (shot in manual). If I had added some comp, either opening up or slowing down, it might not have worked as well. I usually carry my flash with BB, but didn't have it at this time - it would have helped. AFAIK, you can't do high speed synch with the pop-up. The bottom line is that this needed a combination of a bit of fill flash and the use of a tripod and slightly slower SS. Oh, and Jeff, this was not a significant crop. The bird was spinning furiously (an unusual attribute of Phalarope behavior that they utilize to stir up prey) and I probably could have used a bit more SS, but then would have had even more problems.
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