I took this photo this morning during an instructional workshop with Artie. This was in conjunction withthe Space Coast Bird and Wildlife Festival in Titusville, Fl. We were on Black Point Drive, Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge.
Canon EOS 40D, 500 mm lens, 14.5 meters distance, 1/6400 shutter speed, F/5.6. I was shooting in Av mode. The bird was very elusive and only briefly appeared in the open.
Hi James,
I like the base composition...a few points to consider...the capture angle is too steep, you need to get lower on the ground...you were shooting in harsh sun light, and the light was coming in at the eight o'clock position; this is why your subject is half bright and half on the dark side with a shadow cast...the sun should be at your back, so that the bird is lit up evenly...also the background is on the dirty side...I modified your image to reflect a pano crop; thus taking some from the top and bottom of the frame, and 1/4 from the left side...I adjusted the mid-tones on the bird, selective sharpened the area around the eye, and the feather contour...also cleaned up the background and cloned out the shadow; adjusted the saturation and contrast level...see if this presents best to you...:cool:
Hi! Indeed the clappers and king rails seem elusive, especially the way they dart off in a bee-line to the nearest cover when they see you. I'm almost certain that they react to the photographers movement, and not much else. If you know they are in the area, especially if you hear their distinctive call, its best to stay still and wait for them to come by. They generally will roam up and down the bank of a mud flat feeding, and will be totally oblivious to your presence, unless you move!
About your image. A big problem with these birds, and birds like white ibis that root around in the mud to feed, is not only a muddy background that isn't especially esthetically pleasing, but the birds can have mud smeared on it's feathers, its head and beak, and the feet as in this case. Although not much you can do about it here, if you catch the bird feeding in water you have a better chance of catching the bird more "presentable". As a matter of fact, they are usually in the water unless frightened and running for cover.
Most of the time a low viewing angle is a big advantage in shooting wading birds, especially in the situation you had here. The result would be less emphasis on the muddy foreground/ background, and given a greater Fstop, like f4, you might be able to blur much of it out.
One thing I noticed was a 1/6400 shutter speed, which seems awfully fast for the task at hand, and you gave no ISO listing, so I'm not sure what was going on. The very dark shadow seems troubling to me, and
could be pretty easily fixed in PS. A little sharpening and background noise reduction might be called for as well. Hope I've been helpful ~Bill
Agree with William on lucking out and catch him feeding in water, its about the only way. From your location you probably made the best possible image, would give it a little more room if you have it. The steep angle was unavoidable since you shot from a bank. Cleaning he bg wise its just a personal taste and no right or wrong. I tend to leave it as is since it looks more natural to me, never seen a clean mud flat !! Big Congrats !!!
I agree with all of the above. While a low angle is preferred, I was shooting down on the bird with no opprtunity to get lower. I agree about the sun angle but did not have a chance to relocate because the bird was darting in and out. It was about 10 in the morning so the sunlight was harsh. I appreciate all taking the time to comment. I learn quite a bit each time I post. Thanks.
Clapper Rail
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