Camera Model: Canon EOS 7D
Shutter speed: 1/640 sec
Aperture: 4
Exposure mode: Av
Flash: Off
Metering mode: Evaluative
Drive mode: Continuous
ISO: 400
Lens: EF600mm f/4L IS USM
Shot in south Texas. Perch is a bit bright.
Camera Model: Canon EOS 7D
Shutter speed: 1/640 sec
Aperture: 4
Exposure mode: Av
Flash: Off
Metering mode: Evaluative
Drive mode: Continuous
ISO: 400
Lens: EF600mm f/4L IS USM
Shot in south Texas. Perch is a bit bright.
Lovely looking bird. If the birdie was nearer, a smaller aperture would have given a better DOF IMO.. with sharp tail. Nevertheless a nice Image
Very nice bird. As you said the perch is a bit bright, but could easily be fixed with some Tim Grey Dodge and Burn technique.
I like how the eye is really focused on the viewer, and that helps offset the head being so angled to the camera. The blurred tail does not bother me, and I suspect that even at f11-f16 it would not have been totally in focus with a bird this large. Unless you used f16 and focused on the feet. Potentially still iffy though. Anyhow the blurred tail draws my attention to the eye and bill.
Love the ball moss (I think that is what it is?) on the left. That stuff is cool looking!
Best
Patrick Sparkman
It's lichen on the left. I agree that a smaller aperture still wouldn't get the tail in focus. I'd rather have the shutter speed.
What an interesting bird, never seen one of these before. I too like the eye contact and head position with both in good focus. Exposure against that background brings out the colours of the bird nicely and I like the lichen in the composition. TFS.
Pretty bird and a good job just spelling its name. I was of the opinion that DOF is controlled by fstop and don't understand why folks are saying that more fstop would not give DOF to sharpen the tail. You can increase ISO to keep your shutter speed and higher fstop to bring the whole bird in focus. Very nice color on the bird but to my eye the oof tail is a distraction because my attention goes there first.
DOF is controlled by F-stop. However, with a 600mm lens at minimum focusing distance it just isn't going to increase very much. I could have bumped the ISO to 800 with an f11 aperture giving a shutter speed of 1/160 and the tail still would be blurred. The rear leg would be sharper, but that's about it. DOF at f4 at this distance is about 0.5 inch, at f11 about 1.5 inches.
Last edited by Jeff Parker; 11-18-2010 at 08:16 AM.
Jeff, Was this image created at a feeder set-up?
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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.
Good comp, and I like the colours and detail. I agree, using a large lens at close range will not get the tail in focus no matter how you close your aperture.
As long as the eye and face are sharp I don't mind if the tail falls off DOF range. I actually like the 3-D effect it gives.
Nice looking individual, good colours and perch...although I agree it is bright and that some burning *should* help with that. I would be tempted to remove the strand across the forehead. Comp seems a bit tight to me - I wouldn't mind more room around (especially top, bottom, and a bit left)...this would also give you more moss showing (a good thing IMO).
Last edited by Daniel Cadieux; 11-18-2010 at 10:26 AM.
Thanks Sid. Still confused a bit but I think that I understand :)
For images like this I could care less about having the tail in focus....
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.