Pintail Flights

DsrtVWDsrtVW Registered Users Posts: 1,991 Major grins
edited December 18, 2013 in Wildlife
Morning before work photo session. Lunchtime too
Sunrise breakfast bite
DSC_8089-XL.jpg

Lunchtime Flyby
DSC_8662-XL.jpg
Chris K. NANPA Member
http://kadvantage.smugmug.com/

Comments

  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited December 7, 2013
    super
    Harry
    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!"
  • PGMPGM Registered Users Posts: 2,007 Major grins
    edited December 10, 2013
    Chris, you are the duck whisperer, for sure! Beautiful! Best, Pam
  • DsrtVWDsrtVW Registered Users Posts: 1,991 Major grins
    edited December 11, 2013
    Thanks Harry and Pam
    Merry Christmas
    Chris K. NANPA Member
    http://kadvantage.smugmug.com/
  • kobistarkobistar Registered Users Posts: 109 Major grins
    edited December 11, 2013
    I like it a lot.... great work!
  • OsoOso Registered Users Posts: 164 Major grins
    edited December 16, 2013
    Both are great. Nice light.
  • StumblebumStumblebum Registered Users Posts: 8,480 Major grins
    edited December 17, 2013
    One runs out of superlatives with pictures like this. Not sure how everything is in perfect focus and how it maintains sharpness throughout. Any knowledge you drop is much appreciated! clap.gif
  • DsrtVWDsrtVW Registered Users Posts: 1,991 Major grins
    edited December 17, 2013
    Stumblebum wrote: »
    One runs out of superlatives with pictures like this. Not sure how everything is in perfect focus and how it maintains sharpness throughout. Any knowledge you drop is much appreciated! clap.gif

    Thanks everyone,
    First off you need good morning or evening light a pond full of frisky Northern pintails drakes chasing the females around. After 10 am you start to get a lot of shadows on sunny days
    My camera setup is a D3 with a Nikon 200mm f2 AF-s lens with TC-20 III 2x teleconverter giving me 400mm f4.
    Try to work above 1/1000 s on the shutter speed to freeze motion. Usually shoot Manual or Aperture priority. Single focus point(center) on continuous AF. Fast frame rate of the D3 and big buffer get a lot of frames of each flight.
    Tripod is helpful I can shoot handheld but I get far more keepers off a tripod. Ballhead is good then Wimberly Gimbel head is better, but the best I have found for birds in flight is a fluid dampened video head it is so smooth and the one I have is a fairly inexpensive one ( I bought it used) but enough to support my setup.http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=243272&is=REG&Q=&A=details
    Using a remote shutter release and dual handles on the video head I do not even touch the camera when tracking and shooting, when shooting mixed stills and action I go with my Wimberly gimbal head.
    I have more keepers when using the video head. Smooth movement and vibration dampening.

    Most of all get out and shoot when ever you can to practice technique of camera tracking and AF control. Study your targets habits to help anticipate their movements. During the summer I practice on pigeons that follow a certain route consintently

    Shot this one this morning
    DSC_9805-XL.jpg
    Chris K. NANPA Member
    http://kadvantage.smugmug.com/
  • StumblebumStumblebum Registered Users Posts: 8,480 Major grins
    edited December 17, 2013
    DsrtVW wrote: »
    Thanks everyone,
    First off you need good morning or evening light a pond full of frisky Northern pintails drakes chasing the females around. After 10 am you start to get a lot of shadows on sunny days
    My camera setup is a D3 with a Nikon 200mm f2 AF-s lens with TC-20 III 2x teleconverter giving me 400mm f4.
    Try to work above 1/1000 s on the shutter speed to freeze motion. Usually shoot Manual or Aperture priority. Single focus point(center) on continuous AF. Fast frame rate of the D3 and big buffer get a lot of frames of each flight.
    Tripod is helpful I can shoot handheld but I get far more keepers off a tripod. Ballhead is good then Wimberly Gimbel head is better, but the best I have found for birds in flight is a fluid dampened video head it is so smooth and the one I have is a fairly inexpensive one ( I bought it used) but enough to support my setup.http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=243272&is=REG&Q=&A=details
    Using a remote shutter release and dual handles on the video head I do not even touch the camera when tracking and shooting, when shooting mixed stills and action I go with my Wimberly gimbal head.
    I have more keepers when using the video head. Smooth movement and vibration dampening.

    Most of all get out and shoot when ever you can to practice technique of camera tracking and AF control. Study your targets habits to help anticipate their movements. During the summer I practice on pigeons that follow a certain route consintently

    Thanks!bowdown.gif
  • bocoboco Registered Users Posts: 710 Major grins
    edited December 18, 2013
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