Outdoor Ontario
Photography => Ontario Birds => Topic started by: JTF on September 09, 2009, 08:33:26 PM
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(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2564/3890484029_824d8d151c_o.jpg)
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Awesome!
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very awsome!
Everytime I get one hovering before a dive the picture turns out like a modern art painting...all blurry and streaky, where you think you can kind of make out the image if you stare at it long enough. :lol:
So... do you use a tri pod or do you lean against something to stableize the picture?
~ Crystal ~
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Fantastic JTF. Kingfishers are hard to get pics of. I'm interested in your asnwer to Misty's question too. I am having a hard time hand holding my new lens and am using a tripod. I can't imagine getting flight shots from the tripod.
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I don't own a tripod. I use a Nikon D50 w/80-400 vr lense. Shooting setting on camera is with AF-C (Auto focus continous) critical to getting flight shots due ot the continous and often sudden movement. My lense is the same as the link:
http://www.nikon.ca/en/Product.aspx?m=14470
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I don't own a tripod. I use a Nikon D50 w/80-400 vr lense. Shooting setting on camera is with AF-C (Auto focus continous) critical to getting flight shots due ot the continous and often sudden movement. My lense is the same as the link:
http://www.nikon.ca/en/Product.aspx?m=14470
i have the same lens and use the bigger, heavier d700.
turn the tripod attachment on the lens to the 9 o'clock position and you can use that as a handle. makes things more comfy for me.
i haven't been able to get the hang of the AF-C function yet. we just started playing around with it. i just take the picture ASAP after the auto-focus locks on.
by the way, did you sharpen the pic in photoshop? looks a little over sharpened (not being a jerk...it just looks a little over sharp on the wing edges)
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Nice capture JTF - great job!
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thanks JTF I will def. start playing around with the "Auto focus continous" setting. Great tip btw I can't wait to try it out :D
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Everytime I get one hovering before a dive the picture turns out like a modern art painting...all blurry and streaky, where you think you can kind of make out the image if you stare at it long enough. :lol:
So... do you use a tri pod or do you lean against something to stableize the picture?
Flight shots are about freezing a swiftly moving object. Stability is not what you want. You have to rely on fast shutter speed instead. 1/1000 sec might be Ok for slow moving birds, 1/2000 sec would be better. I'd say start with at least ISO 400 on a sunny day, and bump up the ISO speed as things get darker.
[...] I am having a hard time hand holding my new lens and am using a tripod.
What do you find difficult about hand holding? The weight? Unsteadiness? Or something else?
I can't imagine getting flight shots from the tripod.
Flight shots on tripod can be done with gimbal heads like this baby Mongoose:
http://stores.4gdphoto.com/-strse-52/M-dsh-2.3-~-Gimbal-Head/Detail.bok
But it's quite disorienting at first because the whole thing pivots around a point in the middle of the lens, which means you're not pointing straight at what's in your line of sight.
Andy
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I can feel that my hand is unsteady - feels like the camera is shaking (can't be good!). I suppose a fast shutter speed should compensate? The lens is new - I think I need to start lifting a few weights and get used to it :)
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"Flight shots are about freezing a swiftly moving object. Stability is not what you want. You have to rely on fast shutter speed instead. 1/1000 sec might be Ok for slow moving birds, 1/2000 sec would be better. I'd say start with at least ISO 400 on a sunny day, and bump up the ISO speed as things get darker."
Thanks Accwai,
I will play around with the ISO settings a little more and see what results I get :D
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I can feel that my hand is unsteady - feels like the camera is shaking (can't be good!). I suppose a fast shutter speed should compensate? The lens is new - I think I need to start lifting a few weights and get used to it :)
Lifting weight would give you staminia, which is good, but steadiness comes much more from knowing how to brace yourself. For static subjects, having a solid place to rest your elbows would help a lot. If your body is flexible enough to stay in squat position, all of a sudden you have a pair of knees to put your elbows on. Even if you just raise one knee in a kneeling position, you still have one place to put the elbow that supports the weight of the camera. And if you're on the ground in prone position, of course you can plant your elbows solidly on the ground. So low positions are good for stability. Plus they also give a natural look to birds on the ground or in water.
The only time you really want to keep the camera high is when your subject is high--on a branch or fence for example. In that case, it's difficult to support the elbows properly. A monopod would be a good idea here.
But for flight shots, you want to stand up and without support exactly because it allows you to freely point in whatever direction you want. Also move your left hand way out to the front of the lens will give you better control. Here's the ideal form as demonstrated by the (in)famous peacefrog:
http://www.pbase.com/dadas115/image/25905696
:)
Andy
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Andy: Thanks for the practical advice. I was out today shooting and think I just need to practice, practice. Seems to be getting better. The flight shots will take some time!
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very awsome!
Everytime I get one hovering before a dive the picture turns out like a modern art painting...all blurry and streaky, where you think you can kind of make out the image if you stare at it long enough. :lol:
So... do you use a tri pod or do you lean against something to stableize the picture?
~ Crystal ~
....I read once from a famous nature photographer ,if you want to learn how to take birds in flight go to any lakeshore in any city and practice on Seagulls, they are unique in the fact that they interect close to humans, they are large enough to practice on and if you nail the picture you can really tell, then once you get used to that when a Hawk or GBH comes on the scene you will know what you capabilities are of your lens and camera....personally I like to set up in Shutter Priority mode that way I know what type of action I will capture based on the shutter speed and I let the camera worry about the lighting, ISO to me is not a worry in good light I would worry more about the shutter speed.
Each camera and lens are different but the basic fundementals are there and of course the key is practice practice practice...
Here are some samples I use an Olympus E3 / 70-300mm Zuiko lens made for the Olympus body, on the Olympus system the stability is in the camera body not the lens which suites me fine I have never had to use a tripod....
http://www.colinmarcano.com/photo2487620.html (http://www.colinmarcano.com/photo2487620.html)
http://www.colinmarcano.com/photo1179532.html (http://www.colinmarcano.com/photo1179532.html)
http://www.colinmarcano.com/photo2190647.html (http://www.colinmarcano.com/photo2190647.html)
http://www.colinmarcano.com/photo2174942.html (http://www.colinmarcano.com/photo2174942.html)
http://www.colinmarcano.com/photo2290089.html (http://www.colinmarcano.com/photo2290089.html)
http://www.colinmarcano.com/photo2230270.html (http://www.colinmarcano.com/photo2230270.html)
http://www.colinmarcano.com/photo2259729.html#photo (http://www.colinmarcano.com/photo2259729.html#photo)
http://www.colinmarcano.com/photo2210603.html#photo (http://www.colinmarcano.com/photo2210603.html#photo)
http://www.colinmarcano.com/photo2233465.html (http://www.colinmarcano.com/photo2233465.html)
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JTF the King Fisher is one of the most elusive birds to photograph Bravo on this picture really well done!!!!
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....I read once from a famous nature photographer ,if you want to learn how to take birds in flight go to any lakeshore in any city and practice on Seagulls,
Yup. Like this:
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3041/2505921177_85d6ac2098_o.jpg)
and this:
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2658/3914278868_d65eb36701_o.jpg)
[...] personally I like to set up in Shutter Priority mode that way I know what type of action I will capture based on the shutter speed and I let the camera worry about the lighting, ISO to me is not a worry in good light I would worry more about the shutter speed. [...]
Actually depth of field is a rather fundamental control. It's probably better to have shutter speed fluctuates a little than have aperture changing on you.
Andy
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Nice Gull pics love the detail and clearity!
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thanks for the advice guys looks like I will be shooting gulls for a bit :lol:
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[...] personally I like to set up in Shutter Priority mode that way I know what type of action I will capture based on the shutter speed and I let the camera worry about the lighting, ISO to me is not a worry in good light I would worry more about the shutter speed. [...]
Actually depth of field is a rather fundamental control. It's probably better to have shutter speed fluctuates a little than have aperture changing on you.
Andy
if your background is the sky, depth of field isn't much of an issue.
and if i had time to play with my settings, i would just shoot manual and adjust everything accordingly (and hope for the best). when you do shutter priority, i find that the camera compensates too much for the sky.
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Depends on the camera, I find the Olympus software works great but the more important aspect is what are you trying to acheive as the photographer, if for example you are trying to freeze the wings of a small bird in flight I don't see how you would not use Shutter Priority so that you can control the shutter speed and not get blurred wings, now if you wanted the blurred wings in the picture then you may as well shoot in any other mode...the camera's software does not know what effect you are trying to accomplish so thats why there are the many options od Shutter Speed...again I stress each Camera manufacture are different as well as lenses are different there are different rules for a 2.8 300mm and a 4.0 70-300mm lens...