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Thread: Just Sitting There...

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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Default Just Sitting There...

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    This Trumpeter Swan was wildly cooperative flying and swimming and feeding and flapping after bathing for for more than an hour. Grabbing a nice portrait proved to be difficult but I managed a single one just as the sun broke through just after sunrise.

    Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/640 sec. at f/5.6.

    I chuckle when I read internet reports that this lens is not sharp wide open :)

    Here I selected the reeds (after cropping from the top) and ran a 25 pixel Gaussian blur on the selection. I was quite happy with the way that that softened the look of the reeds.

    Don't be shy; all comments welcome.
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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Here is the original capture.
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    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
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    Artie:

    Soft light with golden reflections and smooth reeds in the background works well here. Nice detail in whites, just enough room on the bottom for the virtual legs.

    Cheers

    Randy

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    I guess you dont need to post process image Artie. You get it right straight out of the camera:). Awesome exposure and details.

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    Macro and Flora Moderator Jonathan Ashton's Avatar
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    The number of times I hear people say, " it's just a swam I've got lots of swan shots," and they don't bother taking the shot. Well this is a SWAN shot, I love the light and the exposure and the colours. The swan is big enough to appreciate but small enough for you to appreciate the colour of the scene. I also like the Gaussian blur, am I right in thinking a soft brush would have had a similar effect? Is one approach more advantageous than the other/ does it depend upon the circumstance?

  6. #6
    Van Hilliard
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    The gaussian blur worked really well in isolating and enhancing the swan. It also kept that dark shoreline from distracting the eye from the main subject. I love the warm colors with the bluish touches. I too have laughed at reports that the 800 is not sharp wide open. I assume that the detractors just haven't focused the lens correctly. Most of my shots with the lens are taken wide open or nearly so. Beautiful tonal control on the swan. That +1 compensation was perfect.

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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jonathan Ashton View Post
    The number of times I hear people say, " it's just a swam I've got lots of swan shots," and they don't bother taking the shot. Well this is a SWAN shot, I love the light and the exposure and the colours. The swan is big enough to appreciate but small enough for you to appreciate the colour of the scene. I also like the Gaussian blur, am I right in thinking a soft brush would have had a similar effect? Is one approach more advantageous than the other/ does it depend upon the circumstance?
    Thanks Jon. I do not understand your "soft brush" question....
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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Van Hilliard View Post
    The gaussian blur worked really well in isolating and enhancing the swan. It also kept that dark shoreline from distracting the eye from the main subject. I love the warm colors with the bluish touches. I too have laughed at reports that the 800 is not sharp wide open. I assume that the detractors just haven't focused the lens correctly. Most of my shots with the lens are taken wide open or nearly so. Beautiful tonal control on the swan. That +1 compensation was perfect.
    Thanks Van. Have you been getting to DeSoto much? Since they closed the point I have not been there very much at all....

    As for the expert internet detractors, most of them have never even created an image with the lenses and camera bodies that they are trashing....
    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.

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    Great light detail and exposure...The gold color really adds

  10. #10
    Ákos Lumnitzer
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    I quite like the original and would not have done the blur since to me the swan is perfectly contrasted with the BG as is and looks great in the original capture. But it is a personal taste at the end of the day. I like the comp very much and the swan's pose. It's quite elegant. Funny about the "soft wide open" comment. You would not expect that from a lens costing 11k!

  11. #11
    Van Hilliard
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    Artie,
    I've been out a few times in the last two weeks, always in the a.m. I've been limited in walking because of a foot injury so I've photographed primarily in the area just to the right of the footbridge at North Beach. I had pretty good success there when the tide was out in the a.m. but it's higher now so I'm switching to the evening and hoping for a sea breeze (tonight). The variety of shorebirds is not what it used to be -- although it would be good if we weren't excluded from that roped off area. My photos have included lesser yellowlegs, American oystercatchers, white ibis, roseate spoonbills, wood storks (one with a stingray), dark-morph reddish egret and a few other egrets and herons. All of my photos have been taken between the footbridge and the sand spit just before the line of trees to the north.
    I missed five months because of my injury and am delighted to be out there again. I hope to see you soon.
    Van

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    Beautiful setting here Guruji, nice work on the image too...

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    Quite an appealing image, great bird, light, colors, habitat. Your post processing looks good.

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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Thanks all, and thanks Van for the DeSoto update. I am glad that you are getting out there; I know how much you love it.
    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,

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  15. #15
    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
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    Great job on the whites and exposure, and the swan certainly is sharp. I really like the colours of the water, and overall, a pleasing comp.

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