Don, that's the standard problem I have with my 7D/400 combo -- not quite close enough. Anyway, I think you did well with what you did get. I'm looking at it on my work monitor, which is not great, but are the whites a bit too hot? Did you really need ISO 800?
The 7D+400 gives more pixels on subject than a 1DX + 600 mm lens. So when you see people post images with a combination like that, they are much closer to the subject. How about cropping in a little more and posting that? Looks like you have a great exposure and very nice wing position. If the focus is good (can't tell from such a small subject), this could produce a stunning image if sharpened well. For this subject, I would say 1/8000 second exposure was way faster than needed. I would have worked more around 1/2000 and dropped ISO to 200. The additional light would have enabled better sharpening.
Please post a tighter crop so we can see more detail.
I tried cropping in as tight as I could. I was trying AV which is why I believe the SS was 1/8000. I normally would shoot between 1/1250-1/2000 and have ISO between 200-400 had it set for the clouds and obviously didn't change it when the sun broke out. Another Rookie mistake. I checked the whites and they didn't show up "hot". Here is the "cropped" version. Just looking for advice on how to improve. Thanks in advance. Don
Very nice. I don't think the head is too hot - actually you pushed it as far as you could go to get more detail in the blacks. When this guy is in flight, the feathers on the top of his head really smooth together - so not a ton of detail to be had usually.
- Agree on the ISO and shutter comments
On your new crop, give about a 1/3 more canvas on the left and a touch more on the other 3 sides and you should be looking really good! Congrats on the great shot!
I agree with the other comments. Now that it is magnified in the FOV, the whites look better to me (as I said, I'm working from a crummy monitor at work). Giving the bird a bit more space now and possibly a little more sharpening, as well as some NR on the BG will make this one shine. Good job!
BTW, I almost never use ISO of 200 on wildlife with my 7D. 400 gives a lot more flexibility with SS/Aperture and the camera handles ISO 400 beautifully in a properly exposed image.
Vey nice image. I really like the second image, bald eagles are one of my favorite birds to photograph . I agree with the other comments that adding space would imrprove the image. I do like the wing position and the sharp eye.
Don- The image has potential but as mentioned the original crop is such that the subject does not provide impact. Your cropped version is far too tight You need a happy medium to give the subject room to breathe but to allow it to dominate the image. When cropping, give more room in the direction of movement that behind.
If I were cropping the original image I would be looking for something like this.
Thanks for all the comments. John, I appreciate the example. I cropped so tight to try and show as much of bird as possible. Will make adjustments accordingly in my next post. Thanks again. Don
Last edited by Jeff Cashdollar; 12-22-2012 at 07:47 PM.
Good comments above check the histogram for clipping. HHing this requires a steady touch and solid panning technique - keep practicing and how large was the crop. Nice field technique to bump up ISO to help support faster shutter speeds but the 1/8000 is almost overkill. I am picking up some noise on the image did you run and NR processing. The subject placement has too much negative space try different options. In this case the post card approach might be the best look. Love the Eagles, what a powerful and regal bird - thanks for sharing.
Last edited by Jeff Cashdollar; 12-22-2012 at 07:58 PM.
I love Bald Eagles! Thanks for posting. I like the wing angle, and agree you should crop the original, leaving more room in the looking direction and more room for the head than feet. Get a mite more detail in the whites, perhaps through linear burn method, and drop the ISO next time.
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Bald Eagle
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