This little guy (drake) is not really a goose either, he's a duck, also known as an Australia Wood duck. Not quite as colourful as the US variety. I found a new pond, quite close to where I live. There were different birds, but not many, and very timid. This fellow was letting me know to keep well away from his girls.
Image taken late afternoon, and overcast. I would prefer if the bird was looking a bit more toward me, but I think I still have eye contact? and I might consider cloning out the tree stump on the RHS. I do regret he has no feet!
In ACR - Blacks and Shadows moved to the right. Clarity and vibrance also moved to the right a tad. No alteration to HSL or sharpening.
In PSCS6 - Cloned out pesky grass. A little burning and some eye work. Cropped 38% FF. Resized and smart sharpened for posting.
Canon 5D2
Lens 150-600mm f5-6.3 Sigma Sport @ 600mm (which fell off the car seat yesterday. I have put a post in the General discussion for help)
1/500sec @ f6.3
ISO 1250
Evaluative metering. (I have changed this from spot. Is there a preference?)
Manual exposure
Monopod
Excellent job Glennie. I kind of like the stump in the background but I tend to like environmental shots over portraits. That's just my personal taste but I think I need to work on getting more portraits. As far as the metering I use evaluative for most of my landscapes and spot for my wildlife. But I guess it just depends on the range of bright to dark areas in the frame and how you want to work it, on what you pick. I am sure Diane will be able to answer you better on this and I am looking forward to see what she says.
Nice shot if a new bird, to me. Nicely sharp with good tonal structure. You do have some lovely creatures down there!
I don't mind the stump -- it provides a context without being obtrusive. But it does add some weight on the right and the empty space on the left feels a bit too empty. You might consider a little crop from the top and a little more from the left, to get the eye off center a little. He does need a little room to move into, but not as much as if he were flying. Shaving a little off the top removes the somewhat brighter piece of the stump that is right in the corner. That's definitely a princess and the peas thing, but it does grab my attention. Could also be burned down.
Also don't mind the head angle. It conveys the body language of OK I'm eyeing you and considering moving away, or maybe calling to a comrade off in the BG while keeping an eye on you.
Your monopod seems to be serving you well. I was beginning to fantasize about one a couple of days ago after too much hand-holding at 560 mm on a crop frame. After a while it was getting difficult to keep the focus point on a head and then later to keep a subject in the frame. What do you use for a head on it?
I'm so glad you tell a story with your photographs. It is one of the things I look forward to when I see your name on a post.
I do think he's watching you warily. I like Diane's idea of the LHS shave. It looks as if he combs his hair straight back. And the feet? I think they decided to leaf. Ba da bing!
Jack-I too like environmental images. I believe, now, however, it's a challenge for me to try and "display" the bird at his best angle. I see lots of birds; I take lots of photos that once I would have considered to be OK. Now I look a bit harder at what I'm doing and I am very critical of my own images.
I have always used "spot" for birds and animals like yourself. If you have a look at the "avian" forum, an awful lot use evaluative.
Jim - If Artie says "evaluative", that's good enough! Let's leaf it at that. I like to read other people's stories that are attached to their images as well. And I also use the story to learn from.
Diane - Thank you again. I do see the little bright spot now and will have a look at shaving off the top and side.
Once apon a time, I didn't like the monopod at all, but since aquiring the bigger lens, it's become a must and I'm slowly working it out. It's such a simple piece of equipment, you would think it would be easy to master. I tried hand holding too, and as you say, lost the bird from the frame altogether and got some nice grass shots.
I use a Manfrotto monopod (679B) but find I can't get it down low enough in many cases. (so I dig a little hole, which sometimes is good as an anchor) It's also a good walking stick. The head is a Manfrotto Mini Ball Head (484RC2 - this has been replaced by the 494 RC2) also the simplest of gadgets. It just needs arm rests. I think you could be on to something here!
Until I began to get a bit more serous about bird photography, I left metering pretty much to the camera unless I were photographing a backlit subject. But. Having brought back hundreds of underexposed images, I began to pay more attention. Artie has a guide, Digital Basics, that covers a lot of ground. I'm finding it almost as daunting as understanding Canon's focus options. But I am learning. Slowly.
I'm lazy -- I almost always use Evaluative and rely on instinct to do exposure compensation. If I really want to get it "right" I'll use an incident light meter, but of course what is right for one image may not be for another one. If you have time for review, the histogram and blinkies are the best meter.
Hehe Gleenie, Diane was very kind recently she also asked me to suspend seriousness (hmmm???)
She is so wrong about the body language though.... this guy is not eyeing you up it's an aussie just about to go into attack mode it will be faster than Shane Warne on a good day too .... . you have your warning !!! (he said giggling)
Right, behaving head on!! I do this know this bird Glennie, the pair are almost identical can't remember if we have reared them I'm falling asleep!! As always I wonder at how cool your images are mate and the diversity of aussie images you share with us ,it;s awesome kiddo I really do love what you share here.
Glennie as a duck guy, not a tog, and where those two sort of meet those flanks have a killer pattern for detail huh,you caught it on a few feathers but I know it's there across those flanks this bird I have held. I guess in some ways one might use that as a gauge of sharpness????? Just mumbling before sleep mate. Keep the tree it anchors and gives depth,would it be amiss to ask for slightly more of that, I feel the tail is just a bit close to the left...I dunno glennie pondering out loud
Point of capture is awesome mate love it, what really hurts is I should also be able to remember that sound but just can't quite get it.
Oh put lens/camera in coat human type coat.... wrap coat around lens.... pop on car seat....put safety belt around coat anchoring lens..... reach over and pop safety is slightly slow,but pretty **** quick lens.... doesn't fall off seat ....coat also protects lens and no chance of scratching an expensive thing...... don't ask.... it works though from a pomme to an aussie...shocking
sorry I can't keep up mate but I do adore seeing your pics every now and then I get a "down memory lane job" too and you take me back to having a day old whistler in my mits or today this
thanks mate( opps sorry you won't understand that here ya go)
goodonya
Stu
ps
I am serious about this guys VERY.... but learning really has to be fun and someone reminded me of that recently bless her!!!!! if some of this got through then someone is now smiling not so bad huh?
Thank you Diane and Jim for your input on metering. One of those things where I think experimenting is the key. Jim, I too have Digital Basics? to digest.
Stu, firstly, here are the girls of the Maned duck species. Very sweet, subtle, little things. We are lucky to have as many birds around as we do. Well spotted about the drakes "pencilling" on the flanks. They are there, but just not visible until you zoom in. I'm yet to get close enough to get one without cropping too much.
Thank you for the advice on the coat wrapped camera. I don't own a coat. It's too hot here. But a good idea.
Yep. I gave all my rugs, saddles and tack to a shelter for neglected horses. I should have kept one for a neglected camera. I think also the fine horse hair would play havoc with the nook and crannies of the camera and lens.
Glennie thanks for the second pic,I'm obviously mistaken about the ducks being similar to the drake I was so sure too, hey ho sorry about that. I/We used to help look after a private wildfowl collection that's why I have held some of these birds and their kids.
Ahh to be warm I'm just thawing out after a day of graft in a **** cold wind. Glennie much of this is slightly off topic(sorry mate) but are you based in the top end of oz,it's merely curiousity of where the birds you post actually live why I'm asking.
Yes as with Diane's suggestion anything to wrap the lens in then safety belt to secure it.I tend to travel with the lens and camera in this way and all the bag tripod etc in the boot. It's always there if one get's an unplanned for chance of a picture and one needs to move quick,it works really well for me and I have never had it move. I'm very paranoid about this gear falling Glennie,but this little dodge really seems to be secure. It's all so expensive mate it would brake my heart to hear someone like you had a mishap
Sorry again for the derail away from your image,but I want to see more from you and can't bare the thought of that lens falling again I can't help but care mate it's who I am!!
Oh I always use EV, don't know that this is of consequence to you more advanced guys, but I have one exception so far that being the moon.
Maned Goose
I like to read other people's stories that are attached to their images as well. And I also use the story to learn from.
(he said giggling)
from a pomme to an aussie...shocking
