The End ...... of Salmon

[Andreas Liedmann]

...and the end of 2018 .
Hi folks just want to say bye bye to all of you , say thank you for all your postings , comments and critiques to all of our images that has been posted in 2018.

Wish you all a fruitful , happy and healthy 2019 !!!!! All the best to you and your families ....

Will post a last bear image in 2018 ... image taken at Kuril Lake on Kamtchatka in july this year , hope you like it .

Canon EOS 1Dx II
EF 500 IS L & 1,4 TC
Tripod

F 6,3 ; Iso 1000 ; 1/2500 sec ; auto iso and man exp .

Processed with capture one 12 and PSCC 2019 ; cropped to 75 % of FF . Had to avoid a gull in LLC ... that was distracting .

Thanks for watching and commenting to my previous posting .

See you next year .... Andreas

[greg cowle]

Great action, well captured and processed. Good DoF for the action and a soft background, I like too that you can see some other salmon escaping, if only until the next bear.

[John Mack]

Nice view of this bear and nice action. Clean view of the fish and the bear. Looks very well done overall.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Andreas, I like the overall pose and that the young bear has a salmon in his jaws. The trailing water from the flailing salmon adds, likewise the look away from camera by the bear. The 'boiling water' with the influx of salmon adds to the overall atmosphere.

If you compare the IQ of your Bison images from earlier this year to this, I feel the subject lacks the IQ/Clarity/Sharpness and with the dark shadows, you have lost some detail within the bear. I'm guessing, but the Histogram was quite far over to the RHS, but you held back for the HL's? Personally I would have exposed more for the Bear and worried about the FG in PP, or chosen to shoot a different way, but that's me. I also feel more DoF would have been good here and with the kit you would still have a nice compressed backdrop.

TFS
Steve

[Andreas Liedmann]

Thanks Greg , John and Steve for your kind comments .... much appreciated , as always .

Steve - i might agree with you in parts of your critique . This was processed quickly on the fly ...so might be not as good in terms of IQ what you have in mind . Major difference to the static Bison images is the speed of action with the salmon catching bears , so there might be some critical sharpness missing in this shot due to quick movement of the bear and myself with the kit following the action . This is one image of a series taken with 12 frames/second..... you know that at times the focus does not lock 100 % .....

The tones are a matter of taste .... but for sure i should have dealt with it more carefully ....will try better with the next posting .

Regarding the DOF .... disagree with you , works well for me !!!!

Cheers Andreas

[Steve Kaluski]

This was processed quickly on the fly ...so might be not as good in terms of IQ what you have in mind .

Why, 'on the fly' no need to rush, make the presentation count.

there might be some critical sharpness missing in this shot due to quick movement of the bear and myself with the kit following the action .

Needed more SS then.

This is one image of a series taken with 12 frames/second..... you know that at times the focus does not lock 100 %

Haven't shot at 12 fps for a very long time, the AF does lock on with minimal dropout, slower rate will help. With a subject running towards me, I still would prefer to give the AF more time to assess where is is and where it will be.

The tones are a matter of taste .... but for sure i should have dealt with it more carefully ....will try better with the next posting .

It's your call Andreas.

Regarding the DOF .... disagree with you , works well for me !!!!

Eye looks sharp, nose appears soft, but that might be movement due to low SS, f/8 or even 9 with say, 1/3200 as you were only at ISO1000 and so the DoF can hide things. We both shoot way higher ISO wise on the BPN Forum than anyone else and push the boundaries at times, yes the higher you go the less dynamic Range, but that hasn't held us back.

Just my take too Andreas.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Thanks for your very valuable feedback Steve .... most of it is on the money .

For me very theoretically .... as in the field things happen quickly and changes has to be made quickly , maybe i am simply not trained enough to react on time in the field and changing constantly the settings , from one slow moving creature and just turn around and shoot a fast moving one with eratic movements . Just the truth .....

Yes my call on the tonal range , very subjective i think . And a matter of taste ...not a matter of being correct or reflective .

[Steve Kaluski]

maybe i am simply not trained enough to react on time in the field and changing constantly the settings, from one slow moving creature and just turn around and shoot a fast moving one with eratic movements . Just the truth .....

The settings I mainly use, rarely change Andreas, yes I made a few BIG 'rookie' mistakes with the Tigers because they move from undergrowth to out in the open as you know and are unpredictable at times and this is where we sometimes need to take stock, think, re assess. I also HATE that sometimes a setting changes because you hit the large dial on the back by mistake and not see the change!!! Slowing everything down at times pays off, just because your car can do 200mph, do you always drive it that fast, likewise the camera body...

[Andreas Liedmann]

I also HATE that sometimes a setting changes because you hit the large dial on the back by mistake and not see the change!!! Slowing everything down at times pays off, just because your car can do 200mph, do you always drive it that fast, likewise the camera body...

LOL .... we all are there , at times . I have accepted that it does not work always like it wanted it to be .... in my head ...but it is still hard to accept the outcome at times , when i come back with images that does have some technical shortcomings ....LOL. That is what i meant .... theoretically ....in real life it is different !!!!
I am " happy " with some frames ...that are not perfect , as i do have no better copies .
Go back and try again is the only option.

[Gabriela Plesea]

Hello Andreas,

Love the titleAs well as the little bear! Great pose, such a satisfied and proud expression on his face. Image beautifully composed and colours look great. I am truly amazed to see the number of salmon in the water:)

Techs look good to me and in your intro you also mention using a tripod. 1/2500s seems just about right for the amount of movement, yet I too notice the subject lacks the amount of clarity we are used to seeing in your images - just a thought, maybe the issue lies with the converter?

Content is superb here and I truly enjoyed viewing. I also enjoyed reading your exchange with Steve, which made me think I must look again at my camera settings and change a couple of things then experiment
Andreas, thank you so much for your participation over the past year and also for helping others here on BPN. I really appreciate your honesty and straight forwardness as well as valuable information you share with us. Hope you continue to delight us with your images in 2019, may it be a fruitful and rewarding year for you as well as a healthy, and also happy one on a personal level - Happy New year Boetie

Warmest regards from your Sister in Africa

[haseeb badar]

Hi Andreas -- Well , wish you a very happy new year as well.

I think Steve has made some excellent suggestions and I too find the IQ not as per your usual standards. But that has been discussed above and something to learn from for all of us here .

I really liked the moment and the low POV which has been highlight for all your recent Bear images. Keep posting the Bear images , they have been a real treat .

TFS !

[Andreas Liedmann]

Thanks Gabriela and Haseeb for your comments ...much appreciated .

Gabriela - IMHO it is never the software that is guilty for lower IQ .....the dumb operator is the mistake LOL. Never blame the software .... Interesting what you want to change in your settings , just after reading my exchange with Steve !!!! As said the base image is not 100 % perfect ....plus processed on the fly !!!! Well well .....

Cheers Andreas

[Gabriela Plesea]

Hello Boetie Andreas!

Hmmm...not the software, I meant the hardware, the converter Had to send all my gear back to Nikon to recalibrate when I bought the 2x converter.

Talking about settings, I am thinking maybe I should try shoot less frames per second. Give the camera more time to "think"... Cannot check now because my gear is at Zuka, will do so at the week-end.

Chat soon Boetie, have a great rest of the week! Things have been a little hectic for me lately but this month everything should slow down a bit. I only have January to play around, next month I must start packing for a nice camping trip to the magic land

[Gabriela Plesea]

Off topic...but...did you get to eat any salmon while in Kamchatka?

[Andreas Liedmann]

Yes had a bit of salmon ....yummie

LOL ...converter , sorry I misinterpreted your suggestion. Can not be the TC ...if it would be the case ...then I would have issues all the time .

[Marc Mol]

Like this a lot here Andreas, having both sets of eyes visible is the icing on the cake!

Totally happy with the S/S of 1/2500s and the (apparant) lack of fur detail isn't showing due to that but rather the wet coat on the cub which leaves flat/dull contrast here.

TFS

We both shoot way higher ISO wise on the BPN Forum than anyone else and push the boundaries at times

I think you need to rephrase this to read "for Canon shooters" Steve, since the introduction of the ground breaking Nikon D3 (and long before the IDxI finally arrived in 2011) I've been continually pushing the Hi ISO boundaries since it's introduction in 2007 and here on BPN since the beginning in 2008.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Thanks Marc ....for your kind comment , much appreciated as always !!!
Happy New Year to you .
Cheers Andreas