White on white
This exquisite bird is the Snow Petrel. They are extreme ice birds and one of the true denizens of Antarctica.This is full-frame top and bottom and I cropped some off each side. I lightened the eye to enhance the existing catch light. Sharpened as usual. Hope you like it.
Date: 11 November, 2011, Time: 1138h
Model: Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Lens: EF70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM, @ 300 mm
Program: Manual
ISO 1600, 1/1600s, f/7.1
Exp. comp.: 0.0
Flash: no flash
Last edited by John Chardine; 01-02-2012 at 08:29 PM.
John,
Jay Masiel says photography is about form, color, and gesture. You must have heard him,..the color is beautiful and the black highlights are perfect,..the gesture (open wings) shows the beauty of flight and the form/balance in the fame is great - really like this one John.
ps - is this a new lens for you?
Thanks Jeff. This is my second 70-300L. It was the first lens I replaced after everything was stolen back in August. It's a great lens. Chris Dodds put me onto it when I met him this year at Bonaventure Island.
New favourite
I'd never heard of a Snow Petrel, but it's now my favourite bird.
Wow, this is a stunning image. Absolutely beautiful - both bird and composition with the white on white.
Nancy
Spectacular image John! I love it. Beautiful bird, expertly captured and presented. I am a big fan of high-key images, and this is a wonderful example! I wish I could go to these places...
"It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera... they are made with the eye, heart, and head." - Henri Cartier Bresson
Please visit me on the web at http://kerryperkinsphotography.com
John, A brilliant image in every way. Sitting her in astonishment about how gorgeous this bird and your image of it are.
Stunning.
Great shot. Like the composition.
Thanks so much everyone. I didn't mention that this species is quite difficult to photograph! They are a small petrel with very active flight and they do not follow ships. You just have to be ready if they decide to come close, and then "spray and pray".
Notice how streamlined they are- even the feet are tucked up underneath the body feathers.
Hey, John! Beautiful image and you preserved those whites so nicely! I'm considering adding a short Canon L tele-zoom to replace my Sigma 50-150/2.8 and my Sigma 100-300 f/4 and have been debating between that 70-300L and the 70-200/f4 IS.
Hi Ian- Thanks. I don't think you could go wrong with either the 70-300L or one of the 70-200L lenses. You should take a look at the 70-200 f2.8L IS II. It's on sale at B&H and offers a lot of flexibility because it works so well with the teleconverters (this may overlap with your 400/5.6 though). I've read a rumour that the 70-200 f4 IS lens is due for an update.
Ah, I love those rumors. Well, I've considered the f2.8 but it's twice the price of the f/4 so I'm a bit reluctant. I'm still saving (and probably will be for a very long time) for a long lens (e.g. 500), but would love a quality tele-zoom.
The f4 IS version runs around $1300 while B&H has the 2.8 IS II version for a little over $2000.
A shot that borders on both art and pure bird photography :)
Excellent feel to this, really like the "pureness" of the whites and blacks
This is superb work John..Looking at thumbnail I thought this is B&W Image
Really enjoyed this one...Must been a thrilling experience to see and photograph this beautiful bird in wild...TFS
This caught my eye from the thumbnail, and is an absolutely exquisite image! Perfect exposure, fantastic positioning of the wings and head, and perfect eye-contact. Brilliant!
Thank you Hayath, Sachin and Christopher. This is all very gratifying. I have to say that a large part of making this image was luck. I was there at the right time and the bird just happened to approach close enough for a frame-filling image. What wasn't luck was me being prepared for all this to happen!
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