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Thread: Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, from the Mattress

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    Default Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, from the Mattress

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    Here’s a sharp-tailed sandpiper, yet another common trucker on the East Asian Australasian Flyway. Swedish birder Daniel Pettersson and I were in one of the many brackish pools just inland from the East China Sea. We were shooting from a mattress. By keeping us low and allowing us to move silently through the water, the mattress was consistently giving us close encounters with great birds. Daniel and I were in Yangkou, Jiangsu, about three hours north of Shanghai.

    Device: Nikon D3S
    Lens: VR 600mm F/4G
    Focal Length: 600 mm
    Aperture: F/6.3
    Shutter Speed: 1/3200
    Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority
    Exposure Comp.: None
    ISO Sensitivity: ISO 640
    Metering Mode: Center-Weight
    Subject Distance: 9.4 m
    Photoshoppery: The usual spot removal, sharpening, noise-reducing, and cropping.

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    Lifetime Member Colin Driscoll's Avatar
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    Lovely shot Craig and the matress sounds interesting if not potentially dangerous for the camera gear. I think that small band of water at the bottom distracts.

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    He has not dunked his gear so far :). Agree on the bottom strip of water. Otherwise very nice.

    Craig, do you know if this is a worn juvenile or a worn adult? I would go for the latter as the juvies are quite bright. Did you see any of them?
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    Quote Originally Posted by Arthur Morris View Post
    He has not dunked his gear so far :). Agree on the bottom strip of water. Otherwise very nice.



    Craig, do you know if this is a worn juvenile or a worn adult? I would go for the latter as the juvies are quite bright. Did you see any of them?
    I'd call it a worn adult. The plumage has the look of once having been brightly streaked. A juvie is less boldly streaked, and when worn the streaks would appear even less bold than those of this specimen here. We saw plenty of sharp-taileds in Yangkou, but except for this opportunity we didn't pursue them, as we both had focused on the sharp-tailed at other times, and we didn't bother to study whether they were juvies or adults.

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    Lifetime Member Doug Brown's Avatar
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    I like the raised foot and the good eye contact. Agree with the others about the water at the bottom of the frame. I think there's a bit of a cyan cast to the image.
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    Nice raised foot and low angle. I would remove the bottom line as I find it distracting from otherwise pleasing image.
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    Another nice one from the mattress. I see no mention of floating or half-floating this time ;).

    Agree with the others about the water strip.

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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ben_Sadd View Post
    Another nice one from the mattress. I see no mention of floating or half-floating this time ;).
    Well said Ben. I guess that I got through to him!
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    Macro and Flora Moderator Jonathan Ashton's Avatar
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    This mattress is it an air bed i.e. Lilo - if so what do you rest the camera on, a piece of wood with a bean bag on it presumably something from to stop the mattress from being flexible in the region of the camera?? It obviously works for you but just the thought scares the heck out of me.

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    Pretty scary for the camera gear Craig but for shots like this worth the risk. Also like the raised foot and feather detail. Strip of water has been mentioned.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jonathan Ashton View Post
    This mattress is it an air bed i.e. Lilo - if so what do you rest the camera on, a piece of wood with a bean bag on it presumably something from to stop the mattress from being flexible in the region of the camera?? It obviously works for you but just the thought scares the heck out of me.
    Hi Jonathan, click on the link below and scroll down for a photo of us on the mattress:

    http://www.birdphotographers.net/for...age?highlight=

    I was resting the camera on the mattress.

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    Lovely DOF and feet position . Could have done better with sharpness.

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    beautiful image and plumage.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Craig Brelsford View Post
    I'd call it a worn adult. The plumage has the look of once having been brightly streaked. A juvie is less boldly streaked, and when worn the streaks would appear even less bold than those of this specimen here. We saw plenty of sharp-taileds in Yangkou, but except for this opportunity we didn't pursue them, as we both had focused on the sharp-tailed at other times, and we didn't bother to study whether they were juvies or adults.
    Agree on a worn adult. A Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in fresh juvenal plumage will know your socks off; it is one of the most beautiful shorebirds in the world; I am just not sure of the timing of migration for that species in Asia.
    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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