Membrane
Shot taken just shortly after sunrise. I personally like this behavior type shot as it shows that the membrane was protecting the eye as this ibis tossed the small crab into its throat.
Exposure 0.001 sec (1/1600)
Aperture f/8.0
Focal Length 850 mm
ISO Speed 1250
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash No Flash
Wonderful capture of a moment in time. Super water and BG. I like the droplets too.
Birds usually protect their eye by pulling across their nictitating membranes when in the final act of consuming prey. You have it here.
It would be useful to know the camera body and lens/combo you use, although I can guess from your avatar that you shoot "black". You have minimal noise here at ISO 1250.
Originally Posted by John Chardine
John, my bad. Body is D3s + 600VR + 1,4TC.
Makes sense Troy. That body is the best on the planet for noise. Enjoy it while it lasts though as I don't see Nikon offering FF 12mp bodies in the future.
Last edited by John Chardine; 05-26-2011 at 03:59 PM.
I love this camera and I wish I have another...:)
Hi Troy. Excellent image; sharp, nice low angle, good timing, composition, background. I am on the other side of the fence as far as nicitating(also called nictating) membranes go. As interesting as it may be from a behavioral point of view, I would prefer to avoid them in my images. Sometimes it can't be avoided, I'm not going to clone an eye from another image, but if I had a choice between two similar images, one with the membrane, and one without, I'd pick the second one.
To me it is a matter of what is more esthetically appealing, and although you don't have a close-up here, if you did the often milky colored, or gray membrane would be covering the usually much more interesting eye, along with a catchlight perhaps, and even a percieved visual connection with the viewer.
That said, in a sequence of shots, even when the bird is swallowing prey, the membrane will not be continuously used, and a few shots without it can result. Some behaviors, like yawning, may cause the nictating membrane to be visiible as an automatic reflex.
If you really like the nictating membrane take a close up shot of a black vulture with it showing, you will be cured!
Just my opinion of course.
regards~Bill
Slideshow of my images previously posted at Texas Photo Forum (2010-2011)
Bill, I have a many frames with it eating crabs, it is just a personal preference and I personally love the open beak with crab in mid air. That is why I chose it. Thanks for stopping by.
Troy, I would have chosen it too, and the nictating membrane makes no difference at all with the image. My point is more of a general one, mostly applys to close-ups, and nictating membranes are something I need to deal with all the time. Just something to consider. regards~Bill
I agree with Bill on this one- when the nictitating membrane is not obvious as in Troy's image, and it is such an integral part of the behaviour, it's fine IMO. However, in closeups I find them unattractive and generally only keep the image for teaching purposes especially if the image shows the membrane detail (folds). The technically correct term is "nictitating"; "nictating" is a relatively infrequent alteration of the spelling.
good shot Troy,nice lighting,nice BG, and the crab btween the open bill, is magic.thanks.
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