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Thread: Common Eider

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    Default Common Eider

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    These two female Common Eider were resting on a rock near the Jetty. When the one on the left got up, I noticed it had an injured wing. The one on the right seemed to be keeping it company as the two were well apart from the rest of the flock. Nice to have a friend when the going gets rough.

    EOS7D 420.0mm (EF300mm f/4 & 1.4 ext.) 7.1, 1/640, ISO 640 - Image is cropped slightly for comp, sharpened with a slight increase in vibrance, some NR to background.

    C&C welcome.

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    I like how both ducks have the same orientation and the "sleepy" look in their eyes. Nice job of bringing out the details in the shells as well.

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    This is so pretty, Carolyn! Thanks for the story too! What do you think of just a bit more all around? (especially at the top?) Do really like the shells they are perched on. I, too, like the "sleepy" look. A unique capture!
    www.mibirdingnetwork.com .... A place for bird and nature lovers in the Great Lakes area.

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    Where was the focus point, even the closer head appears to be a bit soft compared to wings. Maybe some additional sharpening on the heads?

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    Thanks, Warren, Sandy and Jon for the feedback. Sandy, the RP is full frame with a little taken off the RHS. I like the extra room around the birds, but I'm not sure about the square-ish crop. Jon, the AF point is on the back of the head of the LH bird. I tried putting it in different places as I was shooting to see its affect on sharpness. I have no shot where both birds are completely sharp. The RP has slightly more sharpening on the bird's heads. Any suggestions for focus point placement on future shots with two birds not quite in the same plane?
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    I have the 50D and not the 7D, but if the 7D behavior is like the 50D, then the focus point are actually bigger than the red dot in the viewfinder, so even though the focus point is over the head, part of it found something closer. I've found that if I have the camera in AI Servo, I first focus on something behind the bird, and then slowly move the focus point towards the head, when the focus "jumps", I stop focusing and take the shot (I use back button focus, so I just stop focusing at that point and also may recompose). Usually it "jumps" before the focus point is actually on the head in the viewfinder.

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    Very nice! Lovely subtle color fits the sleepy pose. And a great story. I hope the injured one survives.

    I like the added room -- the aspect ratio works for me as it fits the subjects. Nice sharpness -- focusing isn't always easy. With practice you'll learn the foibles of a camera. Jon is right that the focus points can lock onto things slightly outside the spot shown in the viewfinder. AF on the 7D2 is a major improvement with more points, more coverage on the image, and spot or surrounding helper points.

    If I'm on a tripod and the subject is still enough, I'll focus on the and shoot and then use the focus fing to re-focus on the other one and shoot again and composite the two. But you need to be in back-button focus, there the shutter button doesn't re-focus.

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    Jon and Diane, thanks for your comments and suggestions. I will have to read up on back button focus.

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