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Thread: Bufflehead from the kayak

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    Default Bufflehead from the kayak

    This was captured an hour after the night-heron frame from two days ago, the gold water created by the the same earthen cliffs I used for the background
    in that shot. I wasn't initially thrilled with the blue at the bottom of the frame - was hoping for all gold but gathering wind made that impossible - but the
    blue/gold combo grew on me through the processing process.

    I cannot tell you how hard it is to get the kayak correctly positioned ahead of the inevitable and usually distant Bufflehead escape. Knowing when to drop the
    paddle and reach for the big rig is skill unto itself. If I'm lucky, I might get the bird in viewfinder for second before it's gone. And remember, I'm in a tiny
    boat, so I am moving too; 3-inch wave passing under my boat will move even a stationary subject out of my viewfinder at the distance I'm shooting. So
    yeah, this is some of the hardest shooting a person can do.

    Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS 1DX2
    1/5000 at f/5.6, ISO 800
    Minimally processed in LR CC

    Name:  bufflehead flight 020520.jpg
Views: 9803
Size:  577.6 KB

  2. Thanks Volkan Akgul thanked for this post
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    BPN Member dankearl's Avatar
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    Killer Bufflehead frame with the wing in the water...
    Sharpness looks good, 1/5000 certainly helps with movement, I could never
    get that kind of light. Buffleheads, while fast, are predictable I think and that
    probably helped you.
    Whites on the edge but I would take this any day!
    Great work!
    Dan Kearl

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    Very nice Image. I agree that whites can be toned down.

    Excellent wing position and thanks for explaining the info. Very difficult skill to achieve.

    I was thinking about getting a Kayak to photograph birds in a lake, I don't think I am ready for it....

    TFS

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    Not that d___ kayak again... I hate you... That wing just brushing the water... Sublime canvas, worth the "kayak practice makes perfect". TFS

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    Lifetime Member Colin Driscoll's Avatar
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    Great skill! Neat shot and all the more pleasing given the degree of difficulty.
    I made up my own term for this sort of shooting- just throwing the camera at the bird!

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    Lifetime Member Mike Poole's Avatar
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    Nicely done Dorian, not easy on dry land to get this, never mind in a kayak!. There is a bit of a yellow cast, nothing major and may be down to the light, but if you neutralise the whites you notice the difference.

    Love the full downstroke of the near wing, especially with it touching the water.

    Mike

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    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
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    Hi Dorian, no need to explain the difficulties you mentioned - I can fully understand. Having said that, you have pulled off a killer capture here. I like the eye level perspective, great downstroke position of the wing, and I quite like the blues in the water. The wing tip touching the water takes this up a few notches.

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    BPN Member William Dickson's Avatar
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    Lovely image...Congrats...Love the POV and the flight pose. that near wing is awesome...Nice colours throughout...Well done Dorian.

    Will

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    Super Moderator arash_hazeghi's Avatar
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    looks good, I like the wing tip that's touching the water. I'd try to get more details in the whites and also sharpen the bird a bit more. wish it was posted larger

    TFS
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    Lifetime Member gail bisson's Avatar
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    Frkkin' amazing. Love the blues and golds in the water.
    Yes to a slight yellow cast- very minor nit.
    Gail

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    BPN Member Bill Dix's Avatar
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    Shooting sitting ducks from a kayak is tough enough. Getting a BIF is a real feat. Getting a Bufflehead is nearly impossible. Getting one with perfect wing position is, to use Gail's well chosen words: "Frkkin' amazing." A few minor nits noted above. I'm in awe.

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    Macro and Flora Moderator Jonathan Ashton's Avatar
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    An excellent shot well done.
    I can't help but feel you are taking a risk when you describe the situation in the kayak if it is that unstable. I remember being in a kayak in the Gambia but the water was always smooth and there was no wind, that was risk enough!

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    There's not a whole lot for me to add to the excellent points already discussed. Very well done on shooting from a kayak. Wing position is pretty much perfect. I do wish for a bit more sharpness as I can't see much feather detail on the head, but it's a relatively minor point taking into account the difficulty of getting such a shot as well as the strengths mentioned (great light, POV, colors).

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    My hat is off to you on this one. Very tough conditions and you pulled it off. Love that color on the head.

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    Beautiful. I like the warm lighting. Wing tip is perfect.

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