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Thread: Even an Old Dog Can Hunt....

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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Default Even an Old Dog Can Hunt....

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    For the past few years my flight photography skills have been deteriorating due to the ageing process and I was never very good anyway. Yesterday morning, that would be Friday, August 27, Denise Ippolito and I were at Nickerson. Though the pool has shrunken in size conditions were otherwise good with very little wind and very still water.

    I made only a very few images with the 800 and was thrilled with this one. It was created with the 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop in somewhat diffused light: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6 set manually.

    Don't be shy; all comments welcome.

    ps: if you have a minute check out today's blog post: "Juvie Sanderling: Capture, Clean-up and Cropping Lessons" here.

    pps: almost forgot the lesson here: I love using the two sensors below the central sensor when photographing skimming skimmers.
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  2. #2
    Ofer Levy
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    Excellent! I especially like the eye contact! So the 800 is great for BIF too...

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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Thanks. The farther away the bird is the slower it seems to be moving relative to your position...
    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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    Lifetime Member Marina Scarr's Avatar
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    I really like the composition here b/c it emphasizes the skim line. You had nice light and angle. Thanks for the tip on changing the sensor points for BLSK skimming. I"ll have to give it a try.
    Marina Scarr
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    BPN Member dankearl's Avatar
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    Perfect pose and light on the bird.
    The head looks a bit oversharpened? Wings are terrific.
    Dan Kearl

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    Nice one Artie. It's amazing how sharp that lens is wide open, at close range too. Thanks for the AF sensor trick, I'll try it next time out.

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    Yes the dog still hunts and quite well my I add! Wonderful shot i would not mind having!

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    Artie, Great job with this capture. I like the composition and the sharp details. The open bill adds nicely to this one. Great work!

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    A very good action shot! I might have cropped a bit in front of the bird in order to put its eye on the thirds lines to enhance its impact.

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    I'd say you still got it. This is a great BIF shot with super detail and great eye contact..

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    Lifetime Member Loukie Viljoen's Avatar
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    To me Artie if you drew diagonals from the corners of frame then the bird is plump bulls eye in the middle, a no no for composition, the skimmer by Herb is to me correctly composed

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    Very nice pose, exposure, eye contact and bird angle.
    I think the comp is great in this case because of the skim line. I would have agreed with Loukie if this bird had not been skimming.
    Not really liking the green on the URC.

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    Lifetime Member Jay Gould's Avatar
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    Bloody Brilliant!!

    The eye is about on the 1/3 line and perfectly composed.

    A winner, Artie.
    Cheers, Jay

    My Digital Art - "Nature Interpreted" - can now be view at http://www.luvntravlnphotography.com

    "Nature Interpreted" - Photography begins with your mind and eyes, and ends with an image representing your vision and your reality of the captured scene; photography exceeds the camera sensor's limitations. Capturing and Processing landscapes and seascapes allows me to express my vision and reality of Nature.

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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Yves Guillot View Post
    A very good action shot! I might have cropped a bit in front of the bird in order to put its eye on the thirds lines to enhance its impact.
    Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I disagree :)

    Here is the image as originally presented. Please see the next pane for the follow-up.
    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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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    And below is the image cropped as you suggested. I much prefer the original post. Why? Cropping as you suggested lost some of the pretty, o-o-f green frame in the top right of the frame and left the bird too close to the frame edge for my taste. It is important to remember that compositional "rules" are only guidelines. The photographer is the artist. It is best to consider the guidelines rather than become slaves to them.

    Quoting Denise Ippolito: "It is more important to consider the overall design of each image rather than to blindly follow the rules and guidelines."
    Last edited by Arthur Morris; 08-28-2011 at 08:19 AM.
    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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    I find the original very pleasing to my eye It "naturally" feels right so... in this case I can only agree with Art that "It is important to remember that compositional "rules" are only guidelines. The photographer is the artist. It is best to consider the guidelines rather than become slaves to them." The so called proper comp puts the bird too close to the corner as well as the edge of the frame for me and doesn't leave enough skimming room. Remember we are artists... and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. All opinions considered there is no right or wrong.

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    Pretty **** good !! Great capture Arthur... love the light quality and detail on the bird... Composition...can't really mess it up

  18. #18
    Tommy Rodgers
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    That's great news. It's the aging process screwing up my flight photography, not my shaking hands and failing eyesight. Nevertheless, I'll keep practicing and trying until I get an image like this. It may be only one, but that's all I need.

    Seriously, this is, as is most of your work, excellent. I like the original crop, because it makes the subject comfortable in the image. I know the rules, but when the rule makes the subject uncomfortable or unnatural, then the photographer has a duty and a license to break the rule for the sake of a better representation and a better image.

    P.S. Don't forget, there are lots of good reading in old books.

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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Loukie Viljoen View Post
    To me Artie if you drew diagonals from the corners of frame then the bird is plump bulls eye in the middle, a no no for composition, the skimmer by Herb is to me correctly composed
    Loukie, I would agree with you were it not for the skimmer's wake. Did you not notice it? It is an important part of the composition.
    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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  20. #20
    Lifetime Member Loukie Viljoen's Avatar
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    No Artie I saw that I am just following what criticism is used on our mere mortals images, I have not participated in club or salon judging for years yet when I did go the words were exactly the same no new Thesaurus for judging yet, I know rules are made to be broken, it is just a problem that some authors cant give a reason why they broke the rules, Regards Loukie

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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Loukie Viljoen View Post
    No Artie I saw that I am just following what criticism is used on our mere mortals images.
    Loukie, With all due respect, that is a load of bunk. Blaming dumb-*** salon/camera club judges does not wash....
    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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