Storm-petrels are the world's smallest seabirds with over 20 species, found mainly in the southern hemisphere. Their flight is fast, erratic, and usually close to the surface where they feed on planktonic crustaceans, molluscs and small fish. They are strictly pelagic and live in a harsh environment; how they survive is a source of wonder and admiration. Capturing an image is like trying to photograph swallows in flight - there are a lot of duds and frustration. The birds in all my frames were tiny, requiring a large crop. For example, this image was cropped down to a width of 2094 pixels with less than 500 pixels across the bird. To make matters worse, the capture was made in overcast conditions and I found I needed to increase the brightness by +2/3. Noise averaging in the final downsize to a width of 1200 pixels would not be enough so I was forced to select the bird and apply NR. I decided to use a median filter (radius = 1 pixel) because it is very effective on 'salt and pepper' noise while preserving high spatial frequency detail better than the other NR options I had available in PS Elements. I then sharpened the bird using lens blur, amount 100%, radius 0.5 pixel.
Canon 5DIII + 300 mm f/2.8L II + 2x III extender, hand-held.
Av priority, f/7.1, 1/1600 sec, ISO 320.
Processed in DPP: crop, adjust WB, brightness, shad/h'lights, USM, RAW-TIFF. PS Elements: background NR, bird NR and sharpen, adjust levels on bird, brighten eye highlight, downsize TIFF-JPEG, USM
Thanks for looking, critical feedback welcome.
I see that I forgot to mention the location for this capture. For those who are interested in such things, it was in the New Zealand sub-Antarctic between Campbell Island and Stewart Island on 10 January 2014. Cheers, Ian
nice top side view, I like the BG too. The bird is underexposed and dark with blacks losing detail. Using AV against a BG that is brighter than the bird will cause this kind of underexposure, as the meter will go for the BG.
nice top side view, I like the BG too. The bird is underexposed and dark with blacks losing detail. Using AV against a BG that is brighter than the bird will cause this kind of underexposure, as the meter will go for the BG.
Thanks Arash, I understand very well why the frame was underexposed, what I don't understand is why my brain doesn't work fast enough for me to track the bird and manually change the camera settings in real time. Cheers, Ian
Arash's comments are noted, but IMO you did quite well under the tough circumstances. You've managed to preserve at least some of the detail, esp. in the coverts, and the eye is showing. Good PP work to salvage it. I've tried to photograph Storm-Petrels, and have found them even harder than swallows, which are next to impossible themselves. A swallow is often against the sky, whereas the Storm-Petrel is against a constantly changing ocean, often taken from a pitching boat. Hats off to you.
Thanks Arash, I understand very well why the frame was underexposed, what I don't understand is why my brain doesn't work fast enough for me to track the bird and manually change the camera settings in real time. Cheers, Ian
Hi Ian, your issue is using AV mode. No one can possibly track a fast bird and adjust exposure at the same time. The most reliable way to get correct exposure for flight is manual expsoure.
The camera's meter is constantly fooled by the BG resulting in over and under exposed frames. When you set the exposure manually it will be correct for every frame in the sequence and you don't have to worry about it.
hope this helps
Last edited by arash_hazeghi; 05-24-2014 at 11:33 AM.
Awesome effort under difficult circumstances Ian! I have also tried to photograph these guys and it is anything but easy (especially when I was suffering from sea sickness at the same time :)). I really like this image. TFS
Ian this is a cool specie! thanks for sharing the extra piece of information.
As noted, the image is a tad under exposed but I am with John Robinson that this one would make me happy! also thanks for sharing the post work done in PS.
Hi Ian, your issue is using AV mode. No one can possibly track a fast bird and adjust exposure at the same time. The most reliable way to get correct exposure for flight is manual expsoure.
The camera's meter is constantly fooled by the BG resulting in over and under exposed frames. When you set the exposure manually it will be correct for every frame in the sequence and you don't have to worry about it.
hope this helps
Thanks again Arash, Your are right as usual. You will be pleased to know that for the past few months I have spent a lot of time practicing flight shots with manual exposure setting. I am still far from where I want to be. I find I tend to over-expose which is OK as long as I am not blowing highlights. Regards, Ian
Hi Ian, love the banking angle showing the dorsal view. Nicely separated from the sea BG too. Thanks for sharing their enviromental conditions - pretty tough.
It would seem this species is rarely imaged and of the images I have seen this is one of the best. My inclination is to agree with Arash regarding the use of manual but with a caveat that it will not guarantee correct exposure all the time. Whilst the lighting may have been overcast it does not necessarily mean that the lighting on the bird would always be the same and you may well have had in mind that if the bird had banked the other way you would have had problems with the bird showing more of its white plumage. The dark plumage would still be affected by banking. Also depending on how high the bird flies the ambient light can change the lighting on the bird simply because the boat (if big enough) can change the ambient lighting. After looking at some moving images on youtube I can only commend your having nailed such a small bird which is so fast and erratic as it navigates the waves.
One final point... the bird's rump is showing nice detail. Most images of this species have it blown out. You were pretty brave in trying to nail this bullet at 1/1600 sec. and with an ISO to maximise IQ. Your decision paid off.
Edit...spelling.
Last edited by adrian dancy; 05-25-2014 at 06:39 PM.
It would seem this species is rarely imaged and of the images I have seen this is one of the best. My inclination is to agree with Arash regarding the use of manual but with a caveat that it will not guarantee correct exposure all the time. Whilst the lighting may have been overcast it does not necessarily mean that the lighting on the bird would always be the same and you may well have had in mind that if the bird had banked the other way you would have had problems with the bird showing more of its white plumage. The dark plumage would still be affected by banking. Also depending on how high the bird flies the ambient light can change the lighting on the bird simply because the boat (if big enough) can change the ambient lighting. After looking at some moving images on youtube I can only commend your having nailed such a small bird which is so fast and erratic as it navigates the waves.
One final point... the bird's rump is showing nice detail. Most images of this species have it blown out. You were pretty brave in trying to nail this bullet at 1/1600 sec. and with an ISO to maximise IQ. Your decision paid off.
Edit...spelling.
Thanks for your knowledgeable comments Adrian. I was indeed trying to get a good shot of the ventral view as this is the only way to get a positive ID for this species. In this I was successful but my best frame was the one posted - maybe I should also work up a ventral view for posting.
I have found shooting with manual exposure settings works well if you have the luxury of a few test shots to check the histogram and blinkies but lighting conditions change with time and as one moves around, especially early and late in the day, so one needs to continually check the meter against the background and try to guess the appropriate offset required. I find my results are no better than using Av priority with appropriate exposure compensation but that may be just a matter of practice. I find that if I get the manual settings right for say a dark coloured duck, I blow the highlights if an egret should happen to fly past. At one of my practice locations I put a small note pad (6 x 3 inches) down range about 20 m and use it as a white target to check for blinkies - it works a treat but it is not practical if one is walking around or on the high seas. Regards, Ian
It would seem this species is rarely imaged and of the images I have seen this is one of the best. My inclination is to agree with Arash regarding the use of manual but with a caveat that it will not guarantee correct exposure all the time. Whilst the lighting may have been overcast it does not necessarily mean that the lighting on the bird would always be the same and you may well have had in mind that if the bird had banked the other way you would have had problems with the bird showing more of its white plumage. The dark plumage would still be affected by banking. Also depending on how high the bird flies the ambient light can change the lighting on the bird simply because the boat (if big enough) can change the ambient lighting. After looking at some moving images on youtube I can only commend your having nailed such a small bird which is so fast and erratic as it navigates the waves.
One final point... the bird's rump is showing nice detail. Most images of this species have it blown out. You were pretty brave in trying to nail this bullet at 1/1600 sec. and with an ISO to maximise IQ. Your decision paid off.
Edit...spelling.
Manual exposure will guarantee correct exposure as long as the light on the bird does not change too much. For e.g. If the bird suddenly goes in the shade it will be underexposed, however you are not making photos when it goes in the shade until it comes back into the sun again. similarly when the bird banks you set your exposure for when the bird is in the best light and make photos then.
Choosing too low ISO and SS was another mistake here. By using a high ISO and fast SS the image will be sharp and the final IQ much better.
Last edited by arash_hazeghi; 05-26-2014 at 05:56 PM.
I have found shooting with manual exposure settings works well if you have the luxury of a few test shots to check the histogram and blinkies but lighting conditions change with time and as one moves around, especially early and late in the day, so one needs to continually check the meter against the background and try to guess the appropriate offset required. I find my results are no better than using Av priority with appropriate exposure compensation but that may be just a matter of practice. I find that if I get the manual settings right for say a dark coloured duck, I blow the highlights if an egret should happen to fly past. At one of my practice locations I put a small note pad (6 x 3 inches) down range about 20 m and use it as a white target to check for blinkies - it works a treat but it is not practical if one is walking around or on the high seas. Regards, Ian
Hi Ian,
You need to learn manual mode better and practice it. I photograph in changing light often and I do not need to take test shots or check histogram. Checking histogram is not ideal as you cannot distinguish the bird from BG and tell which part is under or over exposed. blinkies is a bit better. When you gain some experience shooting flight, you will set your exposure once and fix it. Then as light changes (increase or decrease) with fast moving clouds you can change your ISO to get the right brightness by just looking through the finder and estimating how many stops of light you lost/gained. until you start using manual you will continue to get blown up and dark frames and miss many good opportunities.
your shutter speed was also too slow, with the 5D3 there is no point in using a low ISO and ending up with a soft RAW. I like to set my SS faster than 1/2500sec or faster. 95% of my files are 1/3200 sec.
Good luck
Last edited by arash_hazeghi; 05-26-2014 at 06:01 PM.
You need to learn manual mode better and practice it. I photograph in changing light often and I do not need to take test shots or check histogram. Checking histogram is not ideal as you cannot distinguish the bird from BG and tell which part is under or over exposed. blinkies is a bit better. When you gain some experience shooting flight, you will set your exposure once and fix it. Then as light changes (increase or decrease) with fast moving clouds you can change your ISO to get the right brightness.
your shutter speed was also too slow, with the 5D3 there is no point in using a low ISO and ending up with a soft RAW. I like to set my SS faster than 1/2500sec or faster. 99% of my files are 1/3200 sec.
Good luck
Thanks Arash. Your good advice much appreciated. I am practicing a few times a week. My biggest problem is highlight blow-out. I aim for white parts of the bird to be about 235 digital numbers but often I blow it. I am happy to get whites in the range 220 - 250 DN and then adjust brightness in post processing, typically by +/- 1/2 stop to get the brightness spot on. It's still a work in progress. Regards, Ian
Thanks Arash. Your good advice much appreciated. I am practicing a few times a week. My biggest problem is highlight blow-out. I aim for white parts of the bird to be about 235 digital numbers but often I blow it. I am happy to get whites in the range 220 - 250 DN and then adjust brightness in post processing, typically by +/- 1/2 stop to get the brightness spot on. It's still a work in progress. Regards, Ian
Whites can be challenging especially if there are a small part of the bird like the rump. In that case you have to be conservative exposing to protect the whites as much as you can and pulling up the darks in post.
This is a great shot, details in the white rump patch and detail in most of the darks! Anyone that has ever shot sparrow sized pelagics from a rocking boat in overcast skies will appreciate this shot! Good job!
Black-bellied Storm-petrel, a pelagic 'swallow'
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Originally Posted by arash_hazeghi
