Offset Vulture Composite

[Arthur Morris]

The two images for this composite were created with the Canon 800mm f/5.6 L IS lens and the EOS-1D MIV. From the SUV off the BLUBB. Using rear focus! ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops off the blue sky set manually: 1/250 sec. at f/16.

Don't be shy; all comments welcome.

I wrote a detailed Photoshop "Offset Composite" tutorial for Randy Stout and posted it on my blog last night. You can view it here.

[Randy Stout]

Artie:

This is a technically and artistically interesting image and I am glad you did the tutorial on it. I would encourage everyone to take a look at how it was done.

Cheers

Randy

[Andrew McLachlan]

Hi Arthur.....top notch!

[Alan Murphy]

Just getting both species together like this is amazing, let alone the wingstretch. A fine image.

[Craig Brelsford]

This shot is exciting! Had I witnessed the same spectacle, it would have never occurred to me to handle the dilemma as you did. Now I've got a seed in my head. What's particularly impressive to me is that the composite best reflects the reality of the moment; it was the best way of telling the story of those three vultures together.

[Sidharth Kodikal]

Very nice! I would never have seen this opportunity. Thanks for sharing your technique along with this wonderful image.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks all. I love it too. The two species sit on the same branches every morning. I am heading out in about 3 minutes :)

[Charles Scheffold]

Admittedly, I'm not really a big fan of vultures - but this image works. The composition is interesting and invites questions.

Charles

[Arthur Morris]

The funny thing is that I love photographing vultures, and even funnier, we sell a ton of vulture images :)

[Stu Bowie]

Artie, just love the light and detail in this, and the wing stretch balances the comp nicely. Overall, nice and sharp too.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Stuart. I would hope that it would be sharp at f/16. See the new blog post for an explanation of how I dealt with the varying sharpness issue on the branch.

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Artie, this is terrific and thanks for the tutorial. The wingstretch makes all the difference here. Without it, it would have been a very good image...with it, it is marvellous.

[Krijn Trimbos]

Great PS work! Great HTs, excellent wingstretch and beautiful light. All adding up to a terrific shot, well done!

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks all for your kind comments. Here is the one that I created moments before and the reason that I was at f/16 :)

[Charles Scheffold]

Now that one I like! :)

Charles

[Arthur Morris]

I thought that you did not like vultures :) (I like them both but feel that the image in Pane #1 is far stronger.)

Thanks!

[Charles Scheffold]

Heh well, #1 is a fine image... but pane #14 makes me laugh - and to me that is priceless :D

thanks
Charles

I thought that you did not like vultures :) (I like them both but feel that the image in Pane #1 is far stronger.)

Thanks!

[Arthur Morris]

How come?

[Charles Scheffold]

There's something comical about the way they all appear to be leaning forward, and also that the turkey vulture is sandwiched in between the 2 black vultures.

I don't know, it makes me ask silly questions... Is this a police lineup and the t.v. is the guilty one trying to just "blend in"? Or perhaps they are all staring at each other and asking "why did you pick this branch when there are so many other perfectly good ones around?"

I could go on but I think you get the point :p

thanks
Charles

How come?

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Charles. Your response made me chuckle :)

[Arthur Morris]

There were only two TVs on that branch this morning :)

[Bhushan Dalvi]

Artie , I like the first image a lot. It is great to see both species together. The wing stretch in the first one adds to the image. Thanks for the tutorial.

[Arthur Morris]

YAW. That's my job :)