Results 1 to 13 of 13

Thread: Spotted Sandpiper chick

  1. #1
    Lifetime Member gail bisson's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Nova Scotia
    Posts
    12,731
    Threads
    910
    Thank You Posts

    Default Spotted Sandpiper chick

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    I was fortunate to have a spotted sandpiper nest on my property this year. Once I spotted the chicks on the beach I watched to see where they liked to forage. The next morning, I set up my blind before sunrise with my lens aimed at this general area.
    I waited 90 minutes....sooo...boring. And then the 3 chicks were behind me for about 15 minutes but I could not move.Sooo....frustrating! But finally, they moved in front of me and I spent about an hour watching and photographing them.
    The biggest challenge was getting them on top of the rocks. Shot about 800 frames and only got 5 that I liked.
    @ of the 3 chicks fledged successfully.
    Canon 1 DX 600mm v3 and 1.4 x v.3
    Crop to 60% FF. Nothing added or cloned
    ISO 1000 SS 1/2000 F 5.6
    Comments and critiques always learned from and appreciated with thanks,
    Gail

  2. #2
    BPN Member Bill Dix's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Princeton, NJ
    Posts
    12,487
    Threads
    1,892
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    See. You don't need to go to Nickerson to shoot cute chicks. Your patience paid off. I love the juxtaposition of the soft fuzzy chick on the hard granite rocks.

  3. #3
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    San Mateo, CA
    Posts
    3,643
    Threads
    398
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Such a little cutie! Your patience was rewarded! Setting, composition, and exposure look spot on, but there seems to be slight lack of sharpness/detail on the subject, particularly on the legs. The eye and beak look good, but things seem to fall off a bit from there. Some of that is certainly due to the difficulty in resolving the super fine downy bits, but I would have though the entire bird would be razor sharp since it's so tiny and requires little DOF to resolve. I really like this frame but the chick doesn't quite crack the way I would hope. I wonder if TC would have helped here as it would have put more pixels on the tiny subject? 60% of FF is perfect for larger birds, but I'm just wondering if what I seem to be seeing comes from a lack of resolution with a 2 inch subject. Who knows, I'm just rambling at this point.

  4. #4
    Lifetime Member Colin Driscoll's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Lake Macquarie, Australia
    Posts
    2,343
    Threads
    431
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    The things we put ourselves through! I agree with Dorian about the focus. Have you checked whether that combo needs a little AF micro-adjusting? Mine was slightly front focusing and needed +5 adjustment and it looks like your little sandpiper is at the back of the DOF with the tail (such as it is!) out of focus.

  5. #5
    Lifetime Member gail bisson's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Nova Scotia
    Posts
    12,731
    Threads
    910
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks guys! I had another look at this and I purposely did not sharpen the chick because I wanted to maintain the fluffiness.
    So I think that is some of the issue re: sharpness but the other issue is lack of pixels on the subject with this big crop.
    Colin-Interesting that you mention about MAFA. I have been wondering about that since I got my new lens and have an appointment booked in September with a guy in Halifax to check. Will let you know if there is an issue! I tried to do it here with the Lens Align but could not figure it out!!

  6. #6
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    Bahrain
    Posts
    404
    Threads
    36
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Amazing shot Gail! I love the contrast between the chick and the BG. Really like the colors too. The light is just so sweet. Other than the sharpness issues mentioned, my only other nitpick would be the OOF rocks at the bottom of the frame. They're slightly distracting to my eye but nothing too bothersome. Reducing the luminance/saturation of the rocks a touch might help.

  7. #7
    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    SW Michigan
    Posts
    14,126
    Threads
    821
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Gail:

    Some excellent points made about this cute shot. I tend to be careful too about not oversharpening the little fuzz balls, as they quickly go 'crunchy'. I would consider some additional selective sharpening of legs alone.
    Also agree with Aditya about the rocks at the very bottom. His suggestion is likely to reduce their impact nicely.

    Randy
    MY BPN ALBUMS

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

  8. #8
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Eagle Mountain, Utah
    Posts
    2,709
    Threads
    475
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    For me looking at the overall image it really works for me. Even thought feet is not sharp.

    It draws me into the frame, I was trying to photograph Spotted Sandpipers here with eggs / chicks with no luck...

    Very happy to see this image.

    TFS

  9. #9
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Pacific Northwest
    Posts
    231
    Threads
    43
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Excellent light and well composed. I like the way the color in the foreground rocks balances the darker color in the background. The sandpiper really pops!]

  10. #10
    Super Moderator Daniel Cadieux's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Ottawa, Canada
    Posts
    26,311
    Threads
    3,979
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Ahh, too cute! It appears to already have the butt-bobbing going on too. Nice light, great rocks. Sounds like some great quality time at the beach, even with the slow waiting period!

  11. #11
    BPN Member
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Posts
    2,975
    Threads
    322
    Thank You Posts
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    This is a sweet lil chick Gail and i can understand the over-sharpening cautioned you applied in your processing. I like the BG and the light on the "stepping out" sandpiper, well done.

  12. #12
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Ithaca, NY
    Posts
    10,421
    Threads
    1,708
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Nice to see the chick in the open on the rocks with no distractions. Like light looks very nice.

  13. #13
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,557
    Threads
    1,438
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Great story and perseverance and a truly outstanding image. I have never seen an image of a spotty chick and this one is beyond spectacular. The sharpness, raised foot, great BKGR, and the cuteness factor are all superb.

    with love, artie
    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.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics