What’s Up?
On Friday I took things very easy, coughed a lot, nebulized a lot, did lots of face dips, napped, and worked on some images from my last photo outing before COVID: St. Augustine Alligator Farm. My pulse OX was a constant 94-95 all day long. I am keeping a close eye on that as if it tanks, I will need to take some serious measures. Aside from the dry cough, I am feeling quite good. The Alligator Farm has the best Photo Pass around. I will be sharing Alligator Farm photo tips, SAAF Photo Pass details, and a suggestion for improving the pass system in the next blog post.
Today is Saturday 16 April 2022. I slept well and woke feeling much better. Pulse ox: 95. And best of all, the dry, hacking, tickily cough was gone. I will, however, continue to take it easy. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about 40 minutes to prepare and makes thirty-six days in a row with a new one.
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This image was created on 12 April 2022 at Okefenokee Swamp NWR during the BAA GNPA Post Expo IPT. I used the no-longer available Induro GIT304L Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted-Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera body. ISO 400. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/200 sec. at f/16 (stopped down 2 2/3 stops) in Manual mode. AWB at 11:07:42am on a clear morning. Manual focus with focus peaking worked perfectly as it showed that the edges of all the petals were sharply focused at f/16. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: American White Waterlily. (Nymphaeaceae– waterlily family) |
True, False, or Ridiculous?
On my Wednesday morning visit to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm, there were more than 50 photographers and several 600mm f/4 lenses. As is usually the case at the gator rookeries, I seriously doubt that anyone but me made a single decent image. If you were there and would like to send me a JPEG of your best image via e-mail, I would be glad to apologize publicly if you send me a decent photo. As at Gatorland, everyone was working in the bright sun and most folks were working well off sun angle with their lenses pointed at extremely cluttered nests. Lastly, nobody but me was using a teleconverter (much less the 2X). Photos and lessons tomorrow.
I spoke with a woman on the entry line. I had given her my card. She had no idea who I was. She told me that she was having problems over-exposing the bright white Great Egrets in full sun. She said emphatically, “It is impossible to avoid over-exposing the whites in that situation. I said, You are wrong. It is easy to do so. Try 1/2500 sec. at f/8 at ISO 400 and you should be very close to a perfect exposure. She said, “I am self-taught, and you are wrong. It is impossible. I said, Please trust me, you are self-confused. I’d be glad to help you when we get inside. That was the last of our conversation.
I retrospect, I had heard that argument before. Was I confused or was the lady way off base?
Photographing American White Waterlily in Bright Midday Sun
When we got off the boat on Tuesday morning, Erik Bowles guided us along the refuge drive in search of baby gators, turtles, and flowers. Most of the creek was lit by off-angled bright sun. Photographing the baby gators in the black, backlit water was an exercise in futility. I rested in the car for a bit, unaware that I was coming down with COVID. Anyhoo, I walked around a curve in the road and found a single water lily blossom in full sun not too far from the road. I started with the 2x but quickly dropped down to 840mm and moved a bit closer to the subject.
As a general rule, folks are advised not to photograph bright white subjects in full sun near midday. Should I have followed that advice with regards to Image #1? Why or why not?
Finally, what does this image have to do with my conversation with the woman on the Alligator Farm entry line?
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Thank you for the “sunny f/22 “rule. I had forgotten that one and have been trying to estimate exposures.
To me ISO = Topaz can handle it 😉 Although I do use zebras on the rear wheel.
Folks often don’t realize that film and digital concepts are pretty much exactly the same. I told a friend that I could get perfect exposure from a film camera. He said how?…It doesn’t have a screen on the back to check. I said the camera has a light meter in it. He was astonished.
Artie, late to comment, but I like the image a lot, especially for the reflection. Agree with David too that what gets underexposed is the problem, not the whites–even in 1992 with film, opening up 1.5 stops from a spot reading off the whites or closing down 1 stop from an incident reading worked fine 😉 though not as quick as knowing the right compensation. In this case, I suspect there was some natural fill off the water, etc., and probably significant opening of the shadows in PS.
Glad to hear you’re recovering, but not surprised given your healthy lifestyle and your preparedness in having the right meds on hand.
Hey Cliff,
Earlier than most 🙂 The funny thing is, when exposing for the bright whites I never even think of the darks. As far as those two methods, you were one of very, very very few who knew that stuff. And today there are even fewer with that knowledge. There simply is not that much need with histograms and such …
As far as COVID, yes, I believed in what I believed in and followed that path. So far so good.
with love, artie
ps: The Shadow slider was at +35. That barely did anything to the sunlit petals. It did open up the black water below the flower and especially the reflection of the white petals.
with love, a
Artie that is an amazing photo not being a macro lens and using the 600gm and 1:4
Wow
Always with love b
Thanks, Bob. It is not the first time 🙂
with love, artie
I’m trying to figure out your calculus for the white bird. Are you saying the sunny 16 rule closed down 3 stops for the bird’s highlights?
Hi Rick. You will not figure out my calculus because it my comments are based on field experience with digital camera bodies, not any type of math 🙂
Try it and check your histogram. Remember, now all white birds are equally bright but those settings should get you very close with most white birds and most digital bodies. Just for for fun, sunny 16 for a middle tone is 1/film speed at f/16. Sunny sixteen for whites is 1/film speed at f/22. With ISO 400 that works out to 1/400 second at f/22. That works out to 1/800 at f/16, 1/1600 at f/11, and 1/3200 sec. at f/8. As compared to my recommendation of 1/2500 second at f.8 (for ISO 400). In other words, pretty darned close. If you doubt the sunny f/22 info for bright whites in full sun seeJohn Shaw’s stuff on exposure and/or the section on Exposure theory in The Art of Bird Photography.
with love, artie
Your reference to John Shaw had me reach for his books – yes, page 16 of his “Nature Photography Field Guide” covered f22 for bright colors nicely. Great to see that the “old stuff” is still very relevant in the age of Digital photography!
Hey Veit, Good on you for finding that. Do check out the great section on Exposure Theory in The Art of Bird Photography.
with love, artie
Hi Artie,
Very glad you’re improving! Beautiful waterlily. I think it dispels the notion of not shooting whites in bright light, because the result speaks for itself. As to your encounter, people know what they know, even if what they know is wrong. So, I tried to teach my kids a simple idea: To not know, is one thing, but to refuse to learn is quite another.
Thanks, Keith. The flower was a learning experience for me 🙂
with love, artie
Hi, Artie. Glad you continue to feel better. As for exposing whites in bright sun, it is always reasonably easy to expose them correctly. The problem is what are you underexposing. With egrets in my experience that’s not a big problem. With buffleheads it’s one that buffles me.
Ps I love the water lily image. The reflection is a treasure.
TRUTH, FALSE ETC – -PARAGRAPH 2: HER NOT HERE.
Thanks and fixed.
with love, artie