From my recent trip to South Padre Island, TX. I watched this Tri-colored heron fish for a good hour. You could even see the fish jumping! Needless to say, the heron had a very successful morning of fishing. This image is a composite of two photos because the little fish were too out of focus to tell what they were in the original. I took a second shot, refocusing on the fish, and blended that into the original. Sort of a stacking technique I learned in macro photography when the DOF is not enough. Not exactly the same, but that was the only way to get enough DOF for the fishies, and in true stacking, you can't have your subject running all over the place. Not sure if this works, so would appreciate your comments and suggestions. Techs: Nikon D7000/500mm f/4-P, 1.6x TC, on a tripod/gimbal setup @ 1/2500, f/5.6, ISO 800.
Wonderful image, i like the pose captured
the fish out of water do add a lot to the image, the upper wing details look lovely . Even at 5.6 you have good DOF
Thanks folks, and Karl, Miguel answered your question before I got to it. The 500mm f/4-P is an old manual focus lens (but will still meter with newer cameras). The 1.6x TC Nikon made (also an oldie) was modified (hacked by someone more savvy than me) to help those old manual focus lenses gain a bit of AF. You still have to manually focus within close range, but it's a lot better than having to manually focus totally on your own with a fast moving subject. I wasn't sure how well it would work, but must say I'm amazed at how good it is once close focus is attained. As purely a hobbyist, I haven't been able to justify the cost of Nikon's latest 500mm, so make do with the old lens and a hacked TC to gain some AF. Miguel, I forgot to mention I actually added some canvas at the top. The wing had just a smidgen of room to spare. Probably should have added more.
Last edited by Jeannean Ryman; 05-28-2013 at 06:52 PM.
Wow, manual focus! I don't quite understand what is involved with operating your gear, but it met have taken a lot of kills to get a sharp image of moving objects. I like the heron sharpness, exposure, pose. The fish jumping out of water is great, but this image needs a larger monitor than my iPad to really see the fish. It's an interesting and potentially new way to explore Avian photography here. I could see arguments on both sides whether this stacking technique is allowed or not. Something to think about certainly. tFS. Loi
Well done on capturing this with the raised foot and the prey actually visible. Arash brings up a good point b/c the head is not as sharp as the rest. That said, I feel the head is sharp enough to make this story/image work.
The fish are a jumpin'!
Not sure if this works, so would appreciate your comments and suggestions. Techs: Nikon D7000/500mm f/4-P, 1.6x TC, on a tripod/gimbal setup @ 1/2500, f/5.6, ISO 800.
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Miguel, I forgot to mention I actually added some canvas at the top. The wing had just a smidgen of room to spare. Probably should have added more.
