Results 1 to 17 of 17

Thread: Surf Scoter in Flight

  1. #1
    Lifetime Member Doug Brown's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Albuquerque, NM
    Posts
    11,879
    Threads
    917
    Thank You Posts

    Default Surf Scoter in Flight

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    I've always wanted to get a good flight shot of a Surf Scoter. In the waning minutes of my last trip to Huntington Beach, Jim Salywoda saw one rocketing towards us. I squeezed off a few frames and was quite pleased when I saw this shot on the camera's LCD.

    Canon 50D, 500mm, f/6.3, 1/4000, ISO 400, -1/3 EC, no flash, hand held
    Upcoming Workshops: Bosque del Apache 2019, Ecuador 2020 (details coming soon)
    Website -
    Facebook - 500px

  2. #2
    Axel Hildebrandt
    Guest

    Default

    Cool wing position, angle and BG. I might try to bring out a few more details in the shadows.

  3. #3
    david cramer
    Guest

    Default

    Very good work on the exp, Doug. Head could use some more sharpening.

  4. #4
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Vermont, USA
    Posts
    615
    Threads
    155
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Doug, Love the attack angle. Maybe try to sharpen the eye some. Bob

  5. #5
    BPN Member Tony Whitehead's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    3,972
    Threads
    142
    Thank You Posts
    Blog Entries
    3

    Default

    Amazing duck - agree re trying to bring out a bit more in the dark areas but nice wing detail and head and bill are amazing.
    Tony Whitehead
    Visit my blog at WildLight Photography for latest news and images.

  6. #6
    Lifetime Member Doug Brown's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Albuquerque, NM
    Posts
    11,879
    Threads
    917
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    I tried bringing out the detail in the blacks, but wasn't happy with the level of noise. I'll do a repost and let you all weigh in on it. These birds are a real exposure challenge!
    Upcoming Workshops: Bosque del Apache 2019, Ecuador 2020 (details coming soon)
    Website -
    Facebook - 500px

  7. #7
    Lifetime Member Doug Brown's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Albuquerque, NM
    Posts
    11,879
    Threads
    917
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Here's a new version. Lightened the shadows and did some selective sharpening.
    Upcoming Workshops: Bosque del Apache 2019, Ecuador 2020 (details coming soon)
    Website -
    Facebook - 500px

  8. #8
    Fabs Forns
    Guest

    Default

    Excellent pose and a face ti die for :)
    Another vote for more detail in the blacks, I guess the back is gone.

  9. #9
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Eagle River Valley, Alaska
    Posts
    1,371
    Threads
    64
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Exciting and handsome duck coming at you. The head sharpening looks very good on the repost, but it would be nice for even more detail in the blacks. Excellent capture.

  10. #10
    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Centurion, South Africa
    Posts
    21,360
    Threads
    1,435
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    I like the wing position here Doug, and love the colours around the head. Your repost works very well, and congrats on a superb image Doug.

  11. #11
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Sick! Best flight image of this species I have ever seen. Heck, not sure that I have ever seen one. The angle of the bird and the wing position are killer, the EXP workable. The repost is better. All that you have to do now if make a QM of the eye and darken it by dragging the curve down. This will greatly increase the apparent sharpness. Many ducks (like this species and the scaup) have mysterious floating pupils that are really difficult to render sharply. (Same with flamingoes but for a different reason I believe.)
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










  12. #12
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Victoria, BC
    Posts
    1,662
    Threads
    441
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Really nice Doug........you keep giving me hope that I can get flight images with my 50D ;)

  13. #13
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Córdoba, Spain
    Posts
    3,099
    Threads
    211
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Doug this image is fantastic. By no mean it is easy to capture a duck in flight coming directly to you and you did it very well. The light is fantastic and the species is to die for. Oh man, this one is really sweet. Terrific eye contact, sharpness, pose and BG. I can live with some more noise in the sahdows only to enjoy more details on the blacks. I have playing a bit with the image and it is easy to extract more details in the blacks but, of course, I am doing that with a small jpeg and the result may look very different (not as good) with a full size file. Anyhow, you v¡can be happy with this flight. Big congratulations!

  14. #14
    Tony House
    Guest

    Default

    Nice work, great wing position and nicely framed.

    Tony

  15. #15
    Leroy Laverman
    Guest

    Default

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Very cool. The only times I've every seen these birds flying was way off in the distance. You really nailed this - wing position, body/head angle, light all very nice. I ran a S/H at default settings and then noise ninja and got the following. Curious what other think. The second post still looks too dark in the shadows but I see in PS that they are not really clipped. Maybe I need to recalibrate my screen again.

  16. #16
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    6,588
    Threads
    643
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    I continue to marvel at how Doug, Artie and others are able to photograph flying ducks (read bullets, missiles etc) with 500/600/800 mm lenses. I find the technical challenges enormous- most of the time just getting the bird in the view finder is my main hurdle. Maybe I didn't play enough video games as a youngster. Oh yes, they weren't invented then.

    Superb Doug. The button eye and rendering of the fantastic bill are outstanding. The eye makes me think that these scoters are related to auklets (they are not!).

  17. #17
    Forum Participant Melvin Grey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    West Wales, United Kingdom
    Posts
    317
    Threads
    51
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Beautiful image of this dramatic duck. Great wing position and very good detail on the re-post for such a difficult subject - I would love to see a quality print of this from the full file. I saw my first Surf Scoter in Churchill, this year, but only in the distance.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics