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Thread: Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus)

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    Macro and Flora Moderator Jonathan Ashton's Avatar
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    Default Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus)

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    Hand held image, couldn't' do anything about the angle and if I could have the background would have been regarded as intrusive - so WYSIWYG I'm afraid!
    Olympus E-M1X
    Focal length in 35 mm film : 841.0mm
    Exposure mode : Manual exposure
    ISO Sensitivity : 320
    Exposure compensation : -1.3 EV
    Shutter : 1/2000 sec
    Aperture : F5.6

    ACR/TopazDNAI/PSCC

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Jon .... very cool action regardless of the shooting angle .
    I can almost feel the aggression between the two ....

    Just asking for curiosity .... where was the focal point ??? AS there is a " strange looking DOF " visible with sharp and soft areas in the same focal plane .

    Regarding the overall exposure ... it does look too dark , IMHO . I think you had sunshine so I would expect a much brighter overall image . Just my take .

    TFS Andreas

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    The action is great, but I agree with Andreas about the focus. The splashes around the birds are all soft, and they really mute the who image in that respect. Exposure on birds looks good. I also think ISO 320 hurt you here. Woulda been better to be at 640 and 1/4000 for this.

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    Avian Moderator Brian Sump's Avatar
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    Jon, not the best overall frame we've seen from you. Super dark in areas and super bright in others (top of the leading wing edges).

    Action is great but a lower pov and more direct sun angle would have helped a bunch I think. Really love the action though!

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    Macro and Flora Moderator Jonathan Ashton's Avatar
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    Thanks for the feedback, I used a group of focus points on the head area(s) so I haven't a clue where focus was, I suspect it was on the RHS bird, action was fast and in differing directions. The exposure - I exposed for the highlights, (Auto ISO) I have lifted the darks and in truth the water was considerably darker than portrayed. Usually the black feathers show more detail but I do recall looking and they were indeed dark due to the light angle I presume, the highlights seemed to pick up the light and nothing else did. None of the highlights are blown and there were no dark blinkies. I read what you have written - thanks I appreciate your comments but I am more than satisfied considering the distance and angle I was forced to shoot from. We all wish for better conditions but they simply weren't there for me and I have been to this location several times now.
    I will no doubt revisit, it is like a magnet to me and I will hope for easy light and and a low angle.... pigs may fly one day!!!!!! As the saying goes if you first don't succeed try try again, I will.
    Last edited by Jonathan Ashton; 04-11-2021 at 03:50 PM.

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    Nice interaction. The splashing water is a nice touch. The pose on the right bird is nice. I like the green water.

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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Hi Jon,
    Lots of good comments above. The action is great.

    A question: how can you expose for the highlights (or for anything else) when you are using Auto ISO??? (What exposure mode were you using?)

    And agree with Dorian, why not a much higher ISO and a much higher SS?

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