Two Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) at the Salton Sea
The Salton Sea is the largest lake wholly within California. It's shallow and briny, and some times so odoriferous that it can be smelled a hundred or more miles away. But it is teeming with fish, largely Tilapia. And these fish attract many birds. The best access to the birds is on the east side of the lake, but of course the light there is wrong for most afternoon shooting. One day I went through Desert Shores, on the west shore. Not so many birds, but much better light.
ORIGINAL
1DX, 500/4, tripod/gimbal
1/2000, f/4, ISO 100
Cropped in LR; sharpened in PS.
I thought that with this one, leaving well enough alone was the better course. What do you think?
I like the composition and processing, but even at that distance there is a DOF issue, in that the back one is sharper. Trying to shoot two birds in the same frame makes it hard to get both in focus. DOF is greater with the birds farther away, but still a problem with a lens wide open. Stopping down has other issues, of course -- needing higher ISO or slower SS. This is a frustrating hobby.
In a burst with AI Servo, it might be that the focus plane would fall slightly differently in different shots, and one might be a better balance. Worth trying.
Yep. That's the problem with that shot. I usually shoot with single point expanded with the spread centered on the center. With this shot, area selection would have chosen the closer bird, and it would have been so bad.
I like the image very much. It's sort of "painterly" for want of a better word. Composition works well for me, within the frame. Colours look good too. You can almost feel the downward wind thrust from the wings. If the first bird were in focus, I might like it even more.
Two Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) at the Salton Sea
