Best Night Heron shots I will ever take.
Coming up on the Night Heron. I was so careful and so slow, started much further back. I cannot imagine that I will ever get better shots of this bird than these. There seems to be a limited amt of things these birds will do for you/me. So enjoy.........or not. ginger
From the other side, below.
Actually, I was so careful. I outwaited him, too. I had just stood up, very quietly and carefully, when I heard footsteps and people, YIKES, I thought it was all over then. I told them that they were going to spook him and that I hoped to get a flight shot.
They were interested, stayed with me. Bit by bit we got closer. I would say that I had to have pictures of the the bird with those feet and other things, take a photo, then answer questions. In retrospect, that could have been calming to the Night Heron, a bunch of tourists, in a place where tourists often are. I have met people there from all over the world.
When I actually was going to pass him, the heron, I forced myself not to look at him. The books say that is more effective.
The other people stayed on the other side, using a small camera to get themselves some photos. I took the final photo, backlit, but I think quite nice. Then the people and I walked down to the end of that walk, I answered questions, such as, "Oh those are Great White Egrets". They were innocently passing through, in my big moment.
Magnolia Gardens
Charleston County
South Carolina
Monday
Photography by ginger
(I would have put a beautiful name like MoonRiver on my flower tryptich, but I couldn't think of one, not obvious, not to save my soul, nor to have it for the tryptich. I love that name.)
Exif for both shots:
6/14/2005
f 13
ISO 1600
420 mm
Aperture Priority
Exposure Bias -1
For the first shot the exposure time 1/125
For the second shot the exposure time was 1/500
ginger
I have the info on clicky the piccie, I will study that tomorrow.
I have them in this gallery:
http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/gallery/524620/1/25109181
From the other side, below.
Actually, I was so careful. I outwaited him, too. I had just stood up, very quietly and carefully, when I heard footsteps and people, YIKES, I thought it was all over then. I told them that they were going to spook him and that I hoped to get a flight shot.
They were interested, stayed with me. Bit by bit we got closer. I would say that I had to have pictures of the the bird with those feet and other things, take a photo, then answer questions. In retrospect, that could have been calming to the Night Heron, a bunch of tourists, in a place where tourists often are. I have met people there from all over the world.
When I actually was going to pass him, the heron, I forced myself not to look at him. The books say that is more effective.
The other people stayed on the other side, using a small camera to get themselves some photos. I took the final photo, backlit, but I think quite nice. Then the people and I walked down to the end of that walk, I answered questions, such as, "Oh those are Great White Egrets". They were innocently passing through, in my big moment.
Magnolia Gardens
Charleston County
South Carolina
Monday
Photography by ginger
(I would have put a beautiful name like MoonRiver on my flower tryptich, but I couldn't think of one, not obvious, not to save my soul, nor to have it for the tryptich. I love that name.)
Exif for both shots:
6/14/2005
f 13
ISO 1600
420 mm
Aperture Priority
Exposure Bias -1
For the first shot the exposure time 1/125
For the second shot the exposure time was 1/500
ginger
I have the info on clicky the piccie, I will study that tomorrow.
I have them in this gallery:
http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/gallery/524620/1/25109181
After all is said and done, it is the sweet tea.
0
Comments
ginger, can you pls share the exif thanks then i'll pop back (i hope i remember
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
“PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE ‘JAZZ’ FOR THE EYES…”
http://jwear.smugmug.com/
Harry, his own self, he has been shooting and posting some phenominal photos for a long time, but the last week or so.................I would kill for his wood stork babies. He has now, IMO, surpassed the stage of Natl Geo and gone into a stratosphere. Hope he doesn't go nuts trying to keep up with himself.:uhoh Keeping up with yourself can be unbelievable pressure.
Funny thing about these birds, sometimes it strikes me how nice life would be for them if they just had arms. The first shot is one where I think that. The second shot does show me the wing more, so I miss the "arm" less. Poor "thalidomide" birds.
You know if they had arms and thumbs and stuff, they would rule the world. These birds are smart: though a little misinformed sometimes. This thing about standing stock still for the purpose of invisibility. 1)they are not invisible, though the camouflage often does work, and 2) it can make for a long wait for the photographer. When I got back from shooting the NIght Heron, more than an hour or so later, Bill was full of stories of what I missed with the birds near him.
thanks for stopping and commenting,
ginger
I felt like Scarlett in Gone with the Wind..
OK, do you think they are soft, funny looking, too?
I may be being reactive, but now I am confused, I worked on those birds, clear. The one that is backlit, that is a judgement that I made to post it. I did that because I like it.
If I can't use 1600, I am packing it in. Too many blurred shots from lower ISOs. Even 800 doesn't work after awhile. The lens is 5.6, with an extender, that lowers it, then I often have two extenders on. It would appear from the numbers that I only have one on. But I know I was shooting with two. The 1.4 and the 2 Xs that Rutt sold me, cheaply, nicely.
I can't do better.
ginger
g
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
see what coming?
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
These are very good, especially the first one. No reason to feel bad whatsoever
I've got to hand it to you. There's no way I can keep a steady hand at 420mm's and a 1/125 speed :uhoh
My only suggestion would be to open up the aperture a little so you don't have to use ISO 1600. FWIW, I try to stay around F8- F10. F8 for sitting ducks/herons/egrets and F10, or narrower, for side shots of close BIFs, so I can get both wings in focus. Your mileage may vary, but the Bigma at full tele is sharper at F8 and above. If I was using a Canon 400mm F5.6, I'd likely be shooting sitting ducks and straight on BIFs wide open.
Since the ISO isn't displayed in the VF (shame on you Canon), I always look down at my speed at the 1/2 press. When using lots of tele zoom, I hate to see speeds under 1/500. If the speed is too high (like 1/3200) I'll crank the ISO down a notch (to 400). If the speed is too slow, I move the ISO to 800. Using negative comp also helps too increase your speed.
I liked your shots and my suggestions are just that. Things that I've found out the hard way that may help you
Steve
If you had not shown up, I was going to PM you.
I was out for BIF, mostly, happened on a blue heron first and a Night Heron second, very few of my energy went to BIF.
What really surprises me is that I thought these were good, and I was not afraid to post them. Proudly. I don't understand why I could be so wrong on that.
When I went to a workshop, a well known, naturalist photographer, his birds had blown areas. He was amazed that I thought that was a problem. I don't mind grain, not enough to not post something I like, that may have affected the blown spot.
Thank you, Steve, your momma, or your teachers, they done brung you up right. Either that or you have had enough therapy to know how to phrase things, somehow I doubt that with you.
I have posted the same shots on FM, maybe no responses, if none, I will beg for them, more than I have already. I have no reputation to hurt. The only thing here is I got a bit better. I still don't know things, but I do know I like my lens, and that I don't see the problem with those birds.
ginger (I would like to be able to know what is going to be trashed in order to make a decision as to whether to post it.)
Your right not all the NH went to the west coast
My Galleries
Flicker
G+
Thanks for the nice comments
Case in point, when I first started posting some of my basketball shots here (shots that I was thrilled with, BTW), I got some great criticism from Doc It, Winger and Pathfinder. Instead of accepting their valid points and applying them, I wound up whining, making excuses and feeling sorry for myself. When my emotions calmed I looked back and realized that everything they wrote was right on the money
Same thing with shooting birds. Some of my first few thousand shots were pleasing to me, but as I look back I can see that they really weren't very good, for a number of reasons
I think that mentality is normal. IMO, that's how people improve. By not being satisfied with where their skills are at today. Constantly striving to improve is a very good trait to have. Some people even try to live their life that way, by trying to be a better person today than they were yesterday
Ginger, don't waste energy worrying about your reputation. You take very good pitchas. Are all of them great? Nope. Welcome to the club most of the rest of us belong to.....lol I have posted some horrible pics in my time. The only thing I regret about that fact is that I wasn't skilled/experienced enough to realize that those shots really sucked
I don't want to upset anyone, but there really aren't too many people in any of the forums I participate in, who consistently post KOPTD type images. Personally, after 3 years and 30,000 digital images, I don't even have one I'd submit
So as the Virginia Slims commercial used to say "You've (we've) come a long way baby". But everytime you think you are getting close, they move the darn brass ring....lol
As I mentioned, I admire you and you've got no reason to hang your head. No one knows better, than I, how hard it is to be so proud of a shot and have others ignore it or tell you how badly you screwed it up. But, if I just took the good comments to heart and ignored the bad ones, I'd still be where I was 3 years ago skill-wise.
I hope I haven't upset or offended you with this post. I just wanted you to understand that you are not alone feeling as you do and as I've mentioned before, you have made noticeable progress. Even in the few months that I've been here
Steve
Thanks Steve for writing what I can't put in words, agree with all you said 110%. I will try and follow your words.
My Galleries
Flicker
G+
thanks for the iso information, and the rest of the exif. imo, iso1600 is what's making the images look softish. i also don't think you need to be at f/13... we've already discussed that somewhat... try a bit more open, f/8, heck, even f/5.6 ... imo improving things a large degree by reducing the noise... i'm not saying that they have to be noise-free, don't misinterpret.. but at iso 1600 these wouldn't stand up well at large size viewing or large printing....
as for the rest of the critique... ok... your "best?" i don't think so.. i think you'll get even better night heron shots soon, becuase you are dedicated, you shoot every day, and becuase you are always trying to improve. the first shot, it would be even better if he was facing the viewer, instead of away.. so imo it's good but not great becuase of that. the second shot, i like the fact that he's facing my direction. the blades of grass detract some.
so, ginger dear... i know how excited you are about these photographs but know this: you'll see that night heron again, and you'll get even better shots
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
I am not asking this in way of criticism, but trying to understand if you chose to shoot at ISO 1600 for a particular reason that is not apparent to me. The images are lovely and you have reasons to be proud, but I think you can do better still. I have high expectations of you
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
He suggested int the first shot that I try increasing the contrast, that i would probably like it. I do know from reading that contrast often makes things look sharper, so I tried it. I duplicated the one I originally posted her, still here, and I increased the contrast using, with one duplication, "contrast", a setting I don't usually use, but I tried it.
Then I used curves to do the final one. I moderately increased the contrast. I compared them all. I only brought down the one I did with curves. I preferred it to the one done with "contrast". I don't know if it helped.
But there is someone else, shooting with dual extenders who is having the same problem.
This is what I came up with. Perhaps the yellow could be toned down, but right now............I have kind of had it.
I do know that it made the feet and eyes look a lot sharper in the comparison photos, all of the same size.
The other photo, it did not get the same attention. But the color shift was bothering me. I have been reading Wilmore on what to do about that. This is the finished product, done through eye droppers, curves, finding the dark, the light and the grey. I am not completely happy that I got the shift without perhaps creating another one, but it was a trial. Probably also a matter of preference.
I will talk to the Night Heron about facing the photographer, and perhaps saying "cheese" rather than staring at the water, looking for fish. Fish hasn't been here lately. (a lame joke)
If I were to improve on these shots however Harry might really be jealous. Although he is getting better by leaps and bounds, such as we can do at our ages. Hear that Harry, he wants me to get even better Night Heron shots. I don't know what happens to these birds and the rookery after nesting season. It is already "down" in numbers quite a bit.
Though maybe that is why the two herons, blue and night, were in the rd, by the side, but there. They felt safe and alone.
I could tone down the weeds, not right now.
And to those of you who say, "why bother?". Because I can.
ginger
PF, I decided to try to answer you separately. You and I are so far apart on numbers, I am not sure I can answer you.
Time of day was a big factor. The possibility of flying birds was greater than the poss of herons. I blurred a bunch, at around 11 AM on Saturday, totally unusuable, same on Sunday, so I was feeling the burn on those.
I had it on 800 IS0 when I turned the corner to walk down that street. I just made that decision. I didn't look at my watch, but it was, I am sure, after 6:30 in the evening. There was a great Blue Heron in the shade, but I expected him to spook, so he would be a flyer. For the shade,etc.
I suppose the biggest, most difficult thing to explain would be the f 13. I am not sure on that, it was not a conscious decision, not in that I was waffling. I had blurred a bunch of osprey shots the day before. A whole hour down the drain. Also, the time before, I was not getting any depth of field. So, with the ospreys, the f 13 seemed to work well, in my aging mind, that would carry over to these other birds.
That is as good an explanation as I have. Not very good, but I can't do better. On the 1600 ISO, I do remember making the decision, on the f 13, I don't. Not entirely clearly.
The man on FM did say something like that with these extenders, as we add them it ups................something. Maybe he was talking about the aperture needed. But that would make it smaller. I can't think that well right now. I did think he was referring to that, he was definitely referring to the same problem. And he did definitely suggest more contrast. That would not help in blowing the photo up really big......many of mine can't be. I don't have any photos of my work up, can't anyway.
I was excited. I had been sick the whole previous week, etc........ Though I was tired after shooting 4 days in a row. I no longer shoot every day, am too tired, the places are further away, etc. But Bill was off, we did not go out of town, and I wanted to make each day count.
Not much had gone well, then there was a Night Heron in my path, quite literally.
g