The Streak Continues: 280
This blog was published at about 6:15am from my home in Indian Lake Estates, FL after another good night’s sleep. I enjoyed a nice swim again yesterday and a rather lazy day. Though both the left shoulder and right knee are feeling pretty darned good this morning, only time will reveal the effects of the recent stem cell/PRP/Prolozine injections. Healing takes time. This post, which took me about 2 1/2 hours to prepare, makes 280 in a row. 365 is well within sight….
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Despicable Tales
If you hear a despicable tale about someone please take a moment to consider both the source and the source’s motives….
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This image was created at 9:03:55am on July 25, 2014 at Great Gull Island with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop as framed: 1/1250 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode. With brilliant WHITEs in full sun you will never be far off the right exposure at 1/2500 sec. at f/8 or, as here, an equivalent exposure. Central Sensor (by necessity)/AI Servo-Expand/Rear Focus AF on the base of the tern’s neck and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
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1D X Frame Rate
Eighty-one frames in 20 seconds. Seven keepers, the three best of those presented here. While the frame rate sounds impressive, it is but a fraction of what the Canon EOS-1D X is capable of. I could have created well more than 200 images in those 20 seconds but I fired only when there was a chance that the tern’s head would be in a decent position relative to its body. And I paused several times to re-focus.
That said, the speed of the 1D X enables bird photographers to capture instants in time that they may not have been able to see with the human eye. If you see the tern grab ones of its primaries in its bill while preening, it is too late to press the shutter button. Folks need to learn to anticipate the best potential positions and then hold the shutter button down for short rapid fire bursts of three to six or more frames. Remember however that if you are working with a shutter speed of 1/1000 sec. with a camera that fires 10 fps and you hold the shutter button down for exactly one second you will still be missing 99% of the action….
None-the-less, the Canon EOS-1D X is by far the best camera that I have ever owned or used for creating images of birds in flight or in action. On many occasions it has enabled me to capture special moments that I never saw or envisioned.
If reading this post has convinced you to finally purchase a 1D X please consider using the B&H BAA affiliate logo link below. And please remember, web orders only. E-mail us a copy of your B&H receipt and we will be glad to send along a free copy of my EOS-1D X AF Guide.
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This image was created at 9:03:56am on July 25, 2014 at Great Gull Island with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop as framed: 1/1250 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode. With brilliant WHITEs in full you will never be far off the right exposure at 1/2500 sec. at f/8 or, as here, an equivalent exposure. Central Sensor (by necessity)/AI Servo-Expand/Rear Focus AF on the base of the tern’s neck and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
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Image Optimization Questions
Would you have chosen to remove the metal band and the orange plastic leg flag (where visible)? Why or why not?
Photoshop Trickery Question
After enlarging each image let us know if you see any absolute evidence of a major change or changes made in Photoshop.
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This image was created at 9:03:59am on July 25, 2014 at Great Gull Island with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop as framed: 1/1250 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode. With brilliant WHITEs in full you will never be far off the right exposure at 1/2500 sec. at f/8 or, as here, an equivalent exposure. Central Sensor (by necessity)/AI Servo-Expand/Rear Focus AF on the base of the tern’s neck and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
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The Best Image
Please take a moment to let us know which of the 3 images you feel is the strongest. And why. Feel free to let us know what you like or don’t like about each of the three images.
Image Flaw Question
Images #1 and #2 each have a similar flaw that is not seen in Image #3. What is it?
Blog Interactivity
While it is great that an average of more than 2,000 folks visit and learn from the blog each day it would be wonderful if more than a handful of folks tackled the questions that are designed to make the blog more interactive and less static.
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Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂
I liked #3 best because it showed the head and especially the eye more pliantly.
I like all the graceful curves of image 3, but would be happy with all 3 if they were on my CF card! Sharon
I just LOVE #2…
It just tickles me…
That Beak! That Bend!
A private moment ….capturing the tern’s spirit..
with incredible motion,
fabulous feather detail…
repeating angles & curves,
…and the 50 shades of gray, set off that eye catching beak !
Oh, to be that free, alive… and agile.
thank you!
The banding tells a story. Why would you want to change it? Compositionally the first two images are “centred”. The third has the eye in that third position and is making contact with the photographer. However the second image made me smile so that’s my favourite of the three. Both two and three are wonderful captures of preening.
I guess I’m just not as picky as some of the other commentators.Although I appreciate art I like to see nature as it really is. The band is a must & should not be removed from the photo. It’s a must for our biologist/ornithologist to understand bird behavior and life cycle.
My favorite is the 1st image. The pose of the bird appears more natural. I would not remove the banding from the bird. I have seen this a lot with some of the Whooping Cranes in South Texas. The folks are banding with small radio transmitters to get a better understanding of the birds. I did not see in PS tricks. Thanks for all you do for the photographic community. Your dedication and efforts in teaching have not gone unnoticed.
Artie,
All three are great captures of the preening tern, the balance/position of the subject in the images is excellent. In the first image two images a slight crop on the right would eliminate the slight gray/white tone in the lower right corner. Overall my favorite is the third, the slight tilt of the head with the curved feather in the beak makes a pleasing image. The third image appears to have a slightly different sun angle. The white spot in the third image is at about 1/4- 1/3 of an inch above the head in the 10:00 o’clock position.
Monte
They are all lovely. I like #2 the best. It is very elegant. I love the gesture, movement and position of the tern.I don’t mind not seeing the eye. Not as crazy about the third one. Head angle is awkward and placement doesn’t quite work for me. All great captures!
In response to Jeff’s comment, is the “front” of the bird to the right of it where it’s BODY is facing, or is it to the left where it’s HEAD is facing (which is opposite of its body)?
Hi Michelle, I understand your point. In photo 1 the left edge of the photo is near the tail feathers and there is room for the bird to move its head to the right. In photo 2, there is no visible head and to me the photo feels right being nearly centered. There is also plenty of room in the upper right corner for the bird to swing its head. In photo 3 there is a lot of room between the left edge and the tail feathers, while the head doesn’t seem to have enough room to move. I would never think about these edges while taking the photos myself, I would just be glad to be getting any photos this close to a preening tern. I know that Art can add room to the right if he felt the need.
I think the flaw in one and two is that the rock ends at the bottom corner of the photo. In the third picture the rock moves up the side, closer to the one third mark of the one-third rule. Although, in the third picture, I would like to see more room in front of the bird than behind it.
I see #1 & #2 with the wings taking the viewer eyes out of the photo to the left.
#3 with the wing down & bird head tilted makes the viewer eye circle thus staying in the frame.
I also see a white spot on the third image just above the head toward the left. I kept wiping my monitor to make sure it wasn’t dirty, but it moved when I enlarged the image. Even with that tiny little spot, I like the third image best. I love how you have the tip of the wing in it’s beak. It kind of creates a circular flow. It’s not like the usual preening images. I also like the glint in the eye. I would not remove the band. I just think in wildlife images, they should stay as true as possible. Nothing wrong with some optimization, but to totally clone out something does not seem right to me in my opinion. I don’t necessarily think of this as a flaw, but what I see in the first 2 images that isn’t in the third is that left side of the bird is closer to the frame. There is a bit more space on the third image.
I like the third image best because the bird is grabbing its feather and looking at the camera. It gives a feel that the bird is aware that it is performing for us. I don’t see the flaw that is not in image three, but I do see a white spot low on the rock in the middle of all three photos and wonder why you did not remove it.
Thanks David. The litle white spot low center?
Yes. On the first two pictures it is almost dead center very close to the bottom. If you just look at the rock it is about 1/4 of the way up from the bottom.
Would you have chosen to remove the metal band and the orange plastic leg flag (where visible)? Why or why not?
I wouldn’t remove it. What I learned from you is banding helps in id’ing where the bird
has been among, survival rate other things.
So to me, its part of the bird. So leave it on.
Doug