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Thread: MOM! I am hungry again!

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    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
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    Default MOM! I am hungry again!

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Common loon and chick, northern Michigan, yesterday

    He was really trying to speak his mind. In reality, the chicks have an almost inaudible chirp, but he was sure trying to make his case.

    D300 600vr 1.4 TC f/6.3 1/320s ISO 400 SB800 with beamer

    Post: CS5 selective sharpening, linear burn on breast, added canvas above, cropped from below

    Taken from my little boat, Loonie Too.

    Advice and comments appreciated.

    Cheers

    Randy
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    How cute is that?! Love the warm green summer tones here. Sweet calm water. Great job on this.

    Gary
    Last edited by Gary Esman; 07-10-2011 at 08:48 PM.

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    Fine work, Randy. Chick could be yawning or demanding more food, either way, it's a sweet capture. Colors are lovely. Do you hand hold your lens when in the boat?

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    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
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    Grace:

    I have a boat seat pedestal with a platform on top of it that the Wimberley bolts to. That way if I need to attend to boat chores or grab a snack, I don't worry about dropping my rig. Plus, I am usually shooting in early or late light, at fairly low shutter speeds, so need all the help I can get!

    Randy
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    Randy, I love the low angle and green water, the chicks open mouth puts this over the top! Well done.

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    Super Moderator Daniel Cadieux's Avatar
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    Very nice Randy. Great low angle. The adults' bill looks smal from that angle! I'd love the reds of the eyes more prominent, but realize they do look more muted in diffused or overcast light. Very appealing image!!

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    BPN Member dankearl's Avatar
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    That has to be a prop!
    The adult just looks so nice and the chick pose is really cute.
    Excellent.
    Dan Kearl

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    Love the expression of the adult and the chick in action. Nice low angle. Really well done.

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    Just superb, Randy.
    Love the clean fg and bg, and the low angle.
    As Allen said, the expression on these two are just priceless.
    I love this image, but would have cropped this differently with more room above and a crop from below.
    Thanks for sharing.

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    Super Moderator arash_hazeghi's Avatar
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    nice low angle with great pose for chick and the mom and nice water color
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    Very nice shooting angle, like how the subjects pop from the water color. Chest area of the adult looks very bright to my eye (Draws my eye), lacks a bit of detail in the area above the water. Very appealing image Randy

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    Wow, I really love this! The chick on her back is awesome, with great detail! i like the green colours as well.

    Superbly done!!

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    Ofer Levy
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    This is lovely! Shooting angle is awesome! Agree re the bright white on chest. Amazing you get such a sharp image from a boat in such low shutter speed. How is the ratio of sharp to not sharp images? I ask because I am also looking in getting into doing some photography from a boat. Thanks!

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    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
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    Thanks everyone for the additional comments. The white breast is always a challenge, because it is very white, and it gets reflections off the water to make it even brighter. If I expose strictly for the breast, even in fairly low light levels like here, the remainder of the image will be 2-3 stops underexposed, sometimes more. I am constantly changing my settings to try and hit the best compromise. Can't go just by blinkies on the histogram, because often it look good there, but the rest of the image (besides the whites) will be so dark as to be unusable. Just one of the joys of loon photography!


    Ofer - at 1/320s, as in this picture, unless the loons are really in a hurry, I would say 60% of the shots are sharp, no visible motion induced blur. My little boat is a jon boat, which means perfectly flat bottom, it is fairly wide so more stable, I sit on the floor to lower my center of gravity, the camera is mounted on a pedestal, I have VR on, I work at long lens technique. Loons are very smooth swimmers, they really glide with little jerky motion generally, which helps too. I use an electric trolling motor, so very little vibration, if generally switch it off before shooting. Some days I am smoother than others

    Cheers

    Randy

    Because of the problems with dynamic range I mentioned, you tend to shoot very early in AM and well into twilight, so I am almost always on the ragged edge of shutter speed.
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    Ofer Levy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Randy Stout View Post
    Thanks everyone for the additional comments. The white breast is always a challenge, because it is very white, and it gets reflections off the water to make it even brighter. If I expose strictly for the breast, even in fairly low light levels like here, the remainder of the image will be 2-3 stops underexposed, sometimes more. I am constantly changing my settings to try and hit the best compromise. Can't go just by blinkies on the histogram, because often it look good there, but the rest of the image (besides the whites) will be so dark as to be unusable. Just one of the joys of loon photography!


    Ofer - at 1/320s, as in this picture, unless the loons are really in a hurry, I would say 60% of the shots are sharp, no visible motion induced blur. My little boat is a jon boat, which means perfectly flat bottom, it is fairly wide so more stable, I sit on the floor to lower my center of gravity, the camera is mounted on a pedestal, I have VR on, I work at long lens technique. Loons are very smooth swimmers, they really glide with little jerky motion generally, which helps too. I use an electric trolling motor, so very little vibration, if generally switch it off before shooting. Some days I am smoother than others

    Cheers

    Randy

    Because of the problems with dynamic range I mentioned, you tend to shoot very early in AM and well into twilight, so I am almost always on the ragged edge of shutter speed.
    Thanks Randy!

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    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
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    Ofer:

    I should add, that most of the areas I shoot in have very limited if any boat traffic, so waves from boats not a problem. If there are other boats, then all bets are off, and I have had times where I couldn't even keep the lens on the bird secondary to wave action.

    I generally only shoot on still days.

    Cheers

    Randy
    MY BPN ALBUMS

    "Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy" Sir Isaac Newton

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    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
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    Randy, IMHO, one of your best. Your comp works so well, and just love the head on view of the Loon's head, not to mention the overall low perspective. Of course, the little one howling puts this over the top. Congrats on a fine image, I like this lots and lots.

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    Randy, the moment, the low angle, calm water....loved this one a lot.

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    Lifetime Member Jim Neiger's Avatar
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    Very nice, Randy. I like the low angle and yawning chick.
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    I've never had a shot at this photo op but maybe someday so I now am a bit jealous.. I love the Baby Parent interaction and the way you got the adult facing so head on. It's different than the usual. Great green water too.

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    Great low angle shot. The chick with its open beak is priceless.

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    BPN Member Don Lacy's Avatar
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    Wonderful image Randy, the very best images tell a story or evoke emotion and this one does both.
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    Great capture of an intimate moment. Expressions, as mentioned, are great. Extremely still water.

    Have you tried using active d-lighting? I am using it this year on the highest settings while shooting loon adults. I never use it otherwise.

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    Such a moving image this is Randy.. loved it..

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