My Call
In Monday’s blog post, my favorite image was #4, the Snowy Egret fly-by flight shots. Why? I loved the sweet light, the sharpness, the white on blue color motif, and best of all, the wings fully down flight pose. The calling Laughing Gull on the wall was my second pick for the action, the sweet light, and the background color. What I was looking for in the dowitcher ruffling image was a bit more separation between the bill tip and the small breaking wave. Another second would have done it. And, in addition, we would have seen a bit more of the bird’s yellow legs.
Do understand that I love the dowitcher ruffling image for the position of the feathers and that I love the first image, the juvie little blue hunting, for the soft light and the low, very intimate perspective. Only very rarely do I use images that I do not love on the blog. It’s just that I love some images more than others.
DeSoto #2
To learn about the late registration discount for the 2nd DeSoto IPT (Tuesday 11 April through the morning session on 14 April 2023. 3 1/2 Days: $1899.00 includes three working brunches. Limit six photographers/Openings: 5), call me at 863-221-2372. If I do not pick up, please shoot me a text.
What’s Up?
After creating today’s two featured images on Monday morning, I set up a road-kill cafe and had lots of vulture action. I spent Tuesday morning on lake Blue Cypress. It was a beautiful morning for a boat ride but the faint breeze from the SW made bird photography — especially flight photography, very difficult once the sun came over the big cloud in the east.
While re-arranging the rear compartment of my SUV late on Tuesday afternoon, I realized that I had left my monopod on the bank near the canal when shooting the incoming vultures. I headed down to the lake and as you might have expected, found it easily. Stuff always comes back to me. Anyhoo, I took a short ride around, found and photographed the smallest crane chick, and then found and photographed the finally fledged and flying Crested Caracara. I had been watching the chicks in the nest for several weeks.
Today is Wednesday 5 April 2023. I will be headed down to the lake soon. This blog post took about two hours to prepare including the time spent on the image optimizations. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.
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This image was created on 3 April 2023 down by the lake near my home. Standing by the edge of a canal, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 640. 1/2500 sec. at f/2 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect (ho hum). AWB at 8:33:17am on a mostly sunny morning. Tracking: Expand Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Sandhill Crane 3-week old chick running with wings raised |
Right Place, Right Time, Right Rig. Too Cute
I’ve seen this behavior many hundreds of times over my more than two decades of photographing at Indian Lake Estates, but never came away with an image I loved. When a crane chick or colt wanders away from one of the adults, and the adult then grabs a tidbit for the chick, the separated chick will run eagerly toward the parent while flapping its tiny wings (or wing buds on the smaller chicks).
On Monday morning at 8:33:17am, everything came together perfectly. I was standing down by the canal to get a great perspective, just about eye level with the birds. I was ready for action by setting Tracking: Zone AF and a high shutter speed. I had the right tools in my hands: the 400mm f/2.8 with the a1; the 400mm focal length turned out to be perfect. Seeing one of the chicks stray from one of the parent birds, I moved a bit to my left to get right on sun angle should the chick begin running toward the adult. As you can see by looking at the chick’s shadow, I was right on sun angle at the moment of exposure.
Picking a favorite from the twenty-frame sequence was nearly impossible. So, I got down to four, and flipped a coin. And then, this morning — as below, I decided to process a second image.
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This image was also created on 3 April 2023 down by the lake near my home. Standing by the edge of a canal, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 640. 1/2500 sec. at f/2 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect (ho hum). AWB at 8:33:17am on a mostly sunny morning. Tracking: Expand Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Sandhill Crane 3-week old chick running with wings raised |
Lots of Questions Designed to Get You to Think
Image #1 was a small crop from our left and from below. Do you like the wider view in Image #2 or the tighter crop in Image #1? Why?
Which image was created first? How do you know?
Which pose do you like best? Why?
Overall, which image do you like best? Why?
Was I lucky? Why or why not? Are there any “buts”?
I’ve heard of Luck be a Lady, but monopods still on the bank where you left it (absent mindedly forgot it, we’re all getting older like our President!) (I’ve been playing a little chess these days and ‘oh no my queen is hanging’ is a mental break faux pau!)
Sometimes luck is on your side. Maybe Mrs. Morris is still looking down on you and inquiring on your behalf!
May we all be so lucky.
Pic’s are certainly beauties and Sue has it, CUTE! I think I like #1 a little (the hop) just a bit over #2 (the skip). But, been back and forth on it.
I find your liking of the 400 f/2.8 lens interesting as a photo friend of mine, David Stoecklein a western photographer, used his Canon 400 f/2.8 lens almost exclusively daily.
David unfortunately left us back in 2014.
Image #1 was a small crop from our left and from below. Do you like the wider view in Image #2 or the tighter crop in Image #1? Why? I like the tighter crop. Makes me feel closer to the bird and there are no different objects in the surroundings in 2 that would add to the composition.
Which image was created first? How do you know? #1 was first because the bird isn’t up to speed yet–just starting. I don’t think the legs are in running position yet as they are in #2.
Which pose do you like best? Why? I like #2. The legs give more sense of speed because they are far apart.
Overall, which image do you like best? Why? They are both very appealing !! I like 2 for the speed it shows.
Was I lucky? Why or why not? Are there any “buts”? More well prepared than lucky. But also lucky to have been there at the right time for the behavior.
Image #1 and #2 of Sandhill Crane are interesting. Image #1 of Sandhill Crane with running with wings raised is closer and bigger than image #2. But both images show Sandhill Crane 3-week old chick cute!
Good morning, Artie. Glad you got your monopod back. Sometimes I get stuff back, sometimes I don’t.
Image #1 was a small crop from our left and from below. Do you like the wider view in Image #2 or the tighter crop in Image #1? Why? A. I generally prefer tighter crops unless the wider crop tells a story. In this case, the tighter crop still is wide enough to tell the story, so I prefer it.
Which image was created first? How do you know? A. Image 2 was created first. The sun is obviously higher in the sky for image 1, meaning the image was created later. No, of course I jest. It seems to me judging from the background that the chick was farther to the left in image 1 than in image 2, so image 2 was made first.
Which pose do you like best? Why? A. I like them both equally.
Overall, which image do you like best? Why? A. Image 1, as described above.
Was I lucky? Why or why not? Are there any “buts”? A. “Luck is the residue of design,” as Branch Rickey so famously said. That obviously applies here.
Do you like the wider view in Image #2 or the tighter crop in Image #1? Why?
I usually like the tighter crop because I love the detail in the bird. However, for this series, I like #2 better because it tells a story better and you really get a sence of running!
Which image was created first? How do you know?
#2 was taken first based on the dark brownish grass in the background.
Which pose do you like best? Why?
#2, love both feet basically in the air as it really shows motion/speed…
Overall, which image do you like best? Why?
#2, for all the reasons above. Story, Running, Speed and I like the light/color/contrast better. (Which again is odd for me, as I usually like images a little darker, less high key. But I love #2.
Was I lucky? Why or why not? Are there any “buts”?
No luck. You knew what to look for. You knew where to be based on light, etc. And as far as “right place right time,” that IS luck for many people that just happen to be at the right place, right time. However, you have spent countless hours with these birds, they are comfortable with you and allow closer approach AND you were there at the right time because of the time and work put in. Nothing lucky about that!
Artie
You sure lose or leave behind gear and as said always comes back to you somehow, like your camera card from Homer, ya find it in the bottom of the washing machine 2 weeks later or your super duper heated gloves, huh must have had a nice room mate to help find things 🙂
When i first saw image #1 it reminded me of the last scene in Karate Kid where he does the flying crane move to win his Karate match. Arms up and leg raised and as his opponent moves he kicks and bam point and match. Image #2 is like a little road runner and both are sweet photos.
I love the tighter crop, #1 was first as it is starting to run faster, love the pose in #1 wings up and one leg bent, Luck yes some because you are blessed to be there however in knowledge knowing to be there at the right time looking for just this and setup with the right gear!
No butts for me…lol the photos are amazing 🙂
Always with love b