Your Call?
Both of today’s featured images are — for different reasons — excellent. Be sure to click on the images to view the larger, sharper, hi-rez versions. Which do you think is the stronger image? Why? I have a clear favorite that I will share with you here on Friday.
The Last Post
In the previous blog post, I like the color corrected version of Image #2, the tiny oystercatcher which is about to be brooded. Why? For me, sharp, cute, well-made images of newly hatched chicks are priceless. The choice between the rich, sweet, warm light of Image #1 and the cute chick in flat light was a tough one.
As to the exposure question, the shutter speed for Image #2 was incorrectly shown as 1/600 second rather than 1/640 second. Apologies for that typo.
The technically correct answer is that the exposure for image #2 was only 2 1/3 stops more than the exposure for Image #1. Why? Because in the strictest terms, exposure is only determined by the shutter speed and the aperture. The ISO is not to be considered as it is an after the fact adjustment. The shutter speed for Image #2 was 1 1/3 stops slower than for Image #1 — 1/640 as compared to 1/1600. And the aperture was one stop wider — f/6.3 as compared to f/9. One + 1 1/3 + 2 1/3 stops more light.
Those like me who have a hard time with the technically correct definition, would add in the ISO difference of one full stop — ISO 2500 for the second image as compared to ISP 1250 for the first image and state that Image #2 needed 3 1/3 stops more light.
What’s Up?
My Long Island visit is coming to an end. On Tuesday morning I walked the beach at low tide carrying only the Sony 70-200mm GM II lens and photographed sand and seaweed patterns. I will share several of those with you here.
When I was temporarily grounded because my trigger finger surgery incision was healing, there was sunny morning after sunny morning with blues skies and east winds and many sunny afternoons with a west wind. All perfect. Once I got back into action, the weather got pretty lousy. I rarely saw the sun after 16 June. And aside from the cloudy skies, the wind was almost always from the wrong direction. The saving grace was that heavy rains that were forecast for almost every day never materialized. And when it did rain, it was almost always at night.
As is almost always the case, the vast majority of folks in the field with gear valued at $5000 to $20,000 or more had zero clue as to how to make a good bird photograph. These were the most common and debilitating mistakes:
1- Standing when photographing birds on the ground.
2- Total disregard for sun angle.
3- A complete misunderstanding of effects of wind speed and direction on bird photography.
4- Zero understanding of bird behavior.
Many folks showed total disregard for both the nesting birds and for other photographers. And for the last few days, I watched a “professional” leader consistently have his clients in the wrong spot.
That I had zero folks join an IPT and only two clients during my five week visit leaves me baffled and scratching my head.
Today is Wednesday 28 June 2023. With partly cloudy skies and a W/SW wind in the morning, I opted to stay in. I will be visiting younger daughter Alissa this afternoon. Tomorrow I will be having lunch with Helen Hays who recently celebrated fifty years of running the Great Gull Island Tern Project for the American Museum of Natural History. There will be lots more on Helen here soon. Click here for a brief peek at the life of this extraordinary woman. Better is the 2012 NY Times article here.
I will be heading south to Lorton, Virginia on Friday and on the Auto Train on that afternoon. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too enjoy every day no matter the weather.
If you would like to learn to be a better photographer, consider Joining me on a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT).
The Fact$ of Life
The market for editorial sales of natural history images has virtually disappeared. The incomes of the world’s top stock photographers are down by at least 90%. Like me, most depend on income from photo trips, the sale of educational materials, and income from this or that affiliate program.
In 2001, BAA sold the publication rights to images for nearly one-quarter million US dollars. That amount dropped to about $20,000 by 2011, and in 2017, to slightly more than $2,000.00. We’ve stopped counting. IPTs used to fill within days. Now I am happy to go with one or two folks, but I’d much rather have you along. And so it goes. In 2009, I turned to creating educational blog posts, now to the tune of 4056. Yes, 4056 educational blog posts. So, please remember to use either my B&H or Bedfords affiliate links for your major purposes. It does not cost you one cent to do either.
B&H
Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. When I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.
B&H Simplified
To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.
Bedfords Simplified
Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your stuff ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.
|
|
This image was created on 15 June 2023 at Nickerson Beach, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. While seated on dry sand, I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 500. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/4000 sec. at f/4 (wide open). RawDigger showed the exposure for the raw file to be 1/6 stop short of perfect. AWB at 5:59:43pm on a sunny afternoon. Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version. Image #1: Black Skimmer in flight — dorsal view |
Higher Standards for Flight Photography
When I shot Canon EOS dSLRs for more than three decades, making exceedingly sharp flight shots was a rarity. When I switched to Nikon for two years — in 2017 I believe, things got somewhat better. AF, however, was still inconsistent at best. And micro-adjusting was a huge pain in the you know where. With the vastly improved AF systems of today’s mirrorless camera bodies (especially the Sony a1) making razor sharp flight images with the bird in the center of the frame, a decent wing position, and a nice flight pose has become child’s play. I often delete hundreds of such images from a single good flight session.
To be noticed today, a flight shot needs one or more of the following:
1- A spectacular or at least very different flight pose.
2- A striking wing position.
3- Amazing light.
4- Extremely tight framing.
5- A glorious, dramatic, or unique background.
6- Interesting behavior.
7- Extreme sharpness.
8- Unusual placement of the bird in the frame.
Did I miss anything?
Image #1 qualifies mainly because of the dorsal view flight pose, the extremely tight framing, the extreme sharpness, and the diagonal placement of the bird in the frame.
|
|
This image was created on 13 June 2023 at Nickerson Beach, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. While seated on dry sand, I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 2000. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/4000 sec. at f/4 (wide open). RawDigger showed the exposure for the raw file to be 1/6 stop short of dead-solid perfect. AWB at 7:30:54pm on a sunny afternoon. Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version. Image #2: Black Skimmer in flight with presentation fish |
What About #2?
The bird in the second featured skimmer flight image is carrying a small baitfish to present to a potential mate. The soft light, the inclusion of a strip of beach grass along the lower frame edge, the slightly angled flight pose, and the extreme sharpness combine to make this one special for me.
Which image wins the day? Why?
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Yes, I’m late, but felt it necessary to state that I prefer the dorsal view. The other with the fish and/or small animal is great too, but the dorsal view is a nice variation.
I would expect that you had some weather issues related to the winds carrying the smoke down from the Quebec forest conflagrations. I’m in E. Hampton at the moment and saw a good deal of it on a few occasions when traveling to Nassau County.
In the late fall I travel to my Florida winter retreat. I will contact you regarding some personal instruction in Florida, before I depart, since I suspect we can both make some time available to make that happen.
Hi Artie,
Both images today of the Skimmers in flight are terrific. Prefer the second one
as the grass below adds to the image alone with the fish in its beak.
The Question that I have is that when you look at either of the images one
of the wingtips has motion blur(?) – I suspect that it has to do with DOF.
Would that be a reasonable assumption as both were taken at f4?
Have a safe trip back.
Hi Ramu, Thanks for posting your excellent question. We can always use more of those here 🙂
For the Doral view image the focus distance was just under 68 feet. The d-o-f field for that one is about .45 feet in front of and beyond the plane of focus.
For the fish image, the focus distance was just under 60 feet and the d-o-f is about .35 feet in front of and beyond the plane of focus.
.35 feet is about 4.2 inches, .45 feet is about 5.4 inches.
As black skimmers are 16 – 20 inches in length it would seem that the entire subject would not be covered by the depth of field, in fact, not even close. Though you can sometimes get motion blur at very high shutter speeds like 1/4000 second or higher, the slight blurring of the wingtips in the two images that you spoke about is surely a d-of issue.
Do understand that I have zero desire to shoot flight at smaller apertures to ensure that the d-o-f covers the subject completely. As long as I get the eye or eyes sharp, I am very happy.
with love, artie
Artie: if there’s a fish in one image and not in another, I will always prefer the image with the fish. 🙂 But I’d prefer image 2 even if the bird were carrying a crab. I love the light and the grass and the framing.
Artie woke up from my nap and read your comment and had to laugh. Not sure if I agree had to look that one up.LOL
Artie
I love image #2 as stated by the others, Keven nailed it from the start! “EXCEPT SUE” as i am not sure if she needs glasses or her computer is really really bad or perhaps she really doesn’t know what a fish is vs an animal.
Ditto on your trip home hopefully the train doesn’t crash.
Always with love b
Image #1 and #2 of Black Skimmer in flight are good. I just think that in Image #2 that is not really a fish but maybe it is a small animal instead.
Sue Jarrett: why do you think it’s not a fish? I assure you that it is a fish.
I love image #2 for all the reasons previously stated.
Agree with Kevin 100%. Marsh grass and the underlit wings bring it to the top for me too.
Number 2 is my choice. I like this image with and without the grass. The addition of the fish in the bill adds to #2 what #1 lacks. Excitment!
Well Artie we have a difficult decision here. Love both images great dorsal view on image one. But I will go with image two as my favorite. Several reasons I love the green of the marsh grass, bait fish and we have some light bouncing back to expose the under wings. I really think the grass does it for me. But then again getting that top view is probably more difficult to attain. Both are fantastic. Let the experts in BPN espouse their views would be interesting. Have a safe trip home. See you in Iceland be prepared Grimsey has been getting lots of rain.
Thanks for your erudite comments, Kevin. I will bring my rain gear and hopefully some good weather Karma.
with love, artie