Coot
A slight crop as it appears my levels were out,processed in DPP4: my computer is not able to cope with ps at this time so i'm sort of stuck processing wise,for the moment.
canon 1div 300 f/2.8 is 1.4extiii
1/4000
f/4
iso 2000
take care all thanks for the previous help
Stu
Coots can be interesting but being so plain, I want to see quite a bit of detail on them. The darker areas here are not black but need more tonal detail. I would try to get a range from black into dark gray into the head and neck.
One complicating issue is the bright BG which washes out the darker areas to our eyes. Highlight recovery should be able to bring the lights down and shadow recovery should be able to bring the darks up while stretching out the tonal range there.
The gray areas look soft so you could have missed focus, or thermal turbulence from heat rising from the water. (Or is it ever hot over there?) The lens and camera should be capable of very sharp focus and you had plenty of SS. The ISO could be lower -- maybe softened by too much noise reduction??
Needs some CCW rotation and more room on top or less on the bottom, or both.
Stu, so nice to see you here! I love coots. Their simple plainess, to me, is their beauty.
I like the colour of the water and the seamless gradation to the BG. Agree with Diane on the CCW rotation. I would also be tempted to lighten his head and brighten his eye just a tad. Diane's cropping suggestion is one that I also agree on.
Thank you for sharing Stu!
Coot is an amazing bird, very challenging nonetheless, Stu. For me, it is not easy because they are so dark and we had to expose accordingly. It's amazing that you could capture such beautiful BG. Basically what Diane said about the tonality of the blacks and also the rotation and crop, but I am still stuck on that beautiful BG. Thanks for sharing, Stu!!
I agree with all that has been said. I do love the colors in the surrounding water and how it transitions in the image. I have not gotten a good shot of a coot although I have had a number of opportunities. I want to get one where they have just turned their head enough to show that entire white patch so that it is bordered by black to be able to get some detail into it!
I'm not as kind to coots as Glennie. They have never treated me well. All I get is a floating black blob with an oddly shaped beak. Other than my take on coots in general, I agree with what has been said already. I'll be interested to see how this plays out, as I want to be in a position to make a good photograph of a coot. If that's within the realm of possibility.
It should be, but right up there with a Canada Goose...
Hi guys,thanks so much for your time and wonderful thoughts.
Diane,thanks mate so many pointers as always.hopefully a repost will follow. sharpness has to be down to me I think.mind you did make me laugh with does it ever get hot here,ahh an english guy and the weather,it's a national obsession. Diane I now believe it can get hot enough here to provide atmospherical conditions where sharp focus is tricky at best. I had it happen to me recently,although i'm learning and obviously have work to do on technique. I could see a heat haze that day and struggled to even aquire focus every shot was horrible all were binned. I have shot that field repeatedly(it was hares) I know even i should have had something.
I really don't think that was an issue here, that said conditions were just plain strange,i'll illustrate just so we can rule this facet out. We were in thick cloud and mist at dawn this is a few hours later just after rain(still the mist) but going into a full bore hotblue sky day,(ha i'd have been struggling within an hour of this as the light was so high contrast),we are right in that transition withing this shot.If those conditions can rule out some form of air distortion then critical sharpness or rather the lack thereof is my error. Those conditions were fully responsible for that BG though ,so it's all good. The shot was HH prone of elbows so oft my shooting position. OH there was no NR in the image there is a touch in my repost if that works,which i've tried in 16:9.
Glennie I hope to post more oft now,june is horrendous work wise for us it's normally bad but june is insane. Cheers for your thoughts mate I very nearly wrote if I had PS I would have liked to lighten neck and maybe do something with the eye,that confirmation is brill,but hey ho I had rotated this image CW so hopefully my repost will undo that a bit...DOH
Adihka aren't they,in part it#s why I shoot them quite often. I find them so difficult to get that exposure right . I feel they are a great subject for a wanna be wildlife photographer to learn with. Whether the weather (good song title that) has also effected sharpness I suspect not but certainly it gave me that lovely BG. cheers for the reply you've been posting some wonderful pics of late Adihka,wish i'd of had time to comment more on 'em!!
Warren ,again many thanks especially for the words about what you are trying to achieve with this bird. It's **** frustrating not being able to even start on the next stage of processing,which is where I feel one could really work up that detail in that oh so tricky white patch. But it's really cool to have your thoughts they have really made me think Warren many thanks.
Guys ,here,hopefully is a repost,trying to take some of what you have so kindly bunged at me on board. I'm oft a wreck of late and am doing some silly things,like editing an image and not saving.My first post had very little done,i've been through it again today and wonder if this is improved?? Crop has gone to 16:9 just because it seemed the best way to impliment the cropping suggestions I've also dropped lights boasted shadows played a bit in gamma.
Thanks all
take care
Stu
Yes, much improved, to me. The conditions you describe sound like very high humidity, which can contribute greatly to air quality degradation from thermal stirring even in cool weather. Mix in any other added particulate air pollution and you have a mess.
Hi Jim ha ha me too,a good coot image would be really coolOriginally Posted by Jim Keener
For me their personality is their beauty even though i'm so laid back folks think i'm deadI sort of love their boisterous nature,they are all but the opposite of me,that's why I love them . As a guy wanting to take pictures of birds and beasties I feel a stunningly beatutiful coot image is a huge challenge: one that would appeal to many might be no easy aquisition. I find them terribly challenging Jim,we best not go their with Canadian invaders huh
cheers jim
take care
stu
Diane,I would always blame me first, this gear does it's job,I know it can you do obviously you have experience i don't.... so I 'll always think I have to be the weakest link. Here I thought this was my failing,you have opened my eyes ,I have read about heat hazes,but knew little about the humidity aspect. I will slowly try to post up a few more from the same day I'm very struck by whether this might be wider reaching. It might also teach me more about being able to read all this in the field
Huge thanks Diane
Stu
Stu, your repost is much, much better. I can see so much more detail. Love them coots!
Yes! Repost is soo much better, Stu! Now I want to try shooting myself some coots as well!
Cheers both Glennie I have so much to learn it would help if I remember to save my edits, before posting huh,this is not the first time i've done this of late ,it really shouldn't funny,but I'm laughing
Adhika go get 'em mate,i'd love to see what you can catch . I took a lot way back one golden day, but with my old camera and dpp3, as I recently mentioned,I don't really care for. They are such a challenge for me but such great subjects ,those two were playing who could eat the biggest mouthfull of pond weed it was utterly hilarious to watch. I also want that perfect dive just for the crack Adhika....one day
thanks guys
Stu
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