Posted by jack chapman on February 4, 2007 at 9:53 AM
HI
an old image from snettisham last autumn. Taken after dark. Managed to get really close and had loads of missed opportunities because i was manual focusing in the dark. I missed it when it flapped it's wings as i had the wrong focus. Also lot's of other images had a weird blue cast? This is one of the better ones.
canon EOS 350D DIGITAL
11/11/2006 17:34:54
1/100@5.6
400 (iso)
400mm 5.5L
on camera flash
Posted by Sean Bolton on February 4, 2007 at 6:49 PM
Hi Jack
Well, top marks for perseverence trying to photograph this little bird in the dark! You have done about as well as you could have hoped for in the conditions using manual focusing and on-board flash (with a 400mm lens!). My only comment would be you could try to level the horizon on this shot with a clockwise rotation of about 3 degrees.
For photographing at night an ideal setup is using two flashguns each at 45 degrees to the subject to give even illumination. I appreciate this was not possible in this situation but you have managed at least a record shot of this rare bird.
If you get blue casts in your images this can be corrected using the RAW converter by manually selecting the White Balance or in Photoshop by using the Levels and white point dropper.
cheers
Sean
Posted by John Gardner on February 5, 2007 at 1:14 PM
full marks for staying well after evryone else would have long gone! It does need a more powerful flash, not sure you'd need two but certainly one mounted on the camera with a flash extender might have helped a lot more. Would have certainly given you AF assist I think.
Discussion
2 repliesan old image from snettisham last autumn. Taken after dark. Managed to get really close and had loads of missed opportunities because i was manual focusing in the dark. I missed it when it flapped it's wings as i had the wrong focus. Also lot's of other images had a weird blue cast? This is one of the better ones.
canon EOS 350D DIGITAL
11/11/2006 17:34:54
1/100@5.6
400 (iso)
400mm 5.5L
on camera flash
Well, top marks for perseverence trying to photograph this little bird in the dark! You have done about as well as you could have hoped for in the conditions using manual focusing and on-board flash (with a 400mm lens!). My only comment would be you could try to level the horizon on this shot with a clockwise rotation of about 3 degrees.
For photographing at night an ideal setup is using two flashguns each at 45 degrees to the subject to give even illumination. I appreciate this was not possible in this situation but you have managed at least a record shot of this rare bird.
If you get blue casts in your images this can be corrected using the RAW converter by manually selecting the White Balance or in Photoshop by using the Levels and white point dropper.
cheers
Sean
John