Posted by Jeroen Stel on January 15, 2008 at 12:53 PM
After the leucistic Coot i posted earlier this is my second rare find (for our regions that is..) this week. This guy had been hanging out near a castle in the eastern part of Holland and as i had a business meeting nearby today i decided to pay him a visit as these are perhaps only seen once a year in Holland.
It was not easy though to get some clean shots of this Dipper as it was raining al day long and i had to shoot 1600 ISO just to get some speed...
Greetings,
Jeroen Stel
Canon Eos 1D Mark3
Shutter speed: 1/90 sec
Aperture: F 6,3
Exposure mode: AV
Exposure compensation: -2/3
Flash:no
Flash exposure compensation: -
Metering mode: Evaluative
Drive mode: AI Focus
ISO: 1600
Lens: Canon 600mm F4 + 1.4 TC
Focal length:1092 mm
AF mode: Auto Focus
On tripod and Wimberley Sidekick
Levels/Curves/USM/Contrast/Saturation/Noise Ninja/Lab-Sharpening
Click image for larger version Name: Waterspreeuw-1.jpg Views: 0 Size: 132.8 KB ID: 1889
Size: 132.8 KB
__________________
Good things come to those who wait...
Golden rule in Nature & Wildlife Photography
www.jeroenstel.com
Posted by jack chapman on January 15, 2008 at 1:01 PM
very nice, i love the rain streaks and the background and perch are both great
only nit is, i would have prefered it if you could see the left hand end of the twig re-entering the water (assuming it did)
A stunner,
I love the simplicity of the composition, the twig and the rain it's lovely and the colours are all wonderful,
I just hope that one day I will be able to get photographs like this
Out of curiosity how long did you hang around waiting for the bird to show, many pictures did you take and how many were none keepers?
Sorry if I am being nosey but I'm just curious how you experts work
Jacqui
Posted by Steve Makin on January 15, 2008 at 1:25 PM
another inspiring image, lovely
Posted by Paul Hillion on January 15, 2008 at 1:36 PM
Oh this is very very good - love the glints on the water where the Dipper's legs and the branch tips enter the water and of course the rain streaks are just perfect. Agree with what Jack mentions above about seeing the branch re-entering the water but that's a very minor nit - have you cropped the left side?
This is Good-Great composition and all the lovely shades of brown-nice low level-Lovely
Dave
Posted by Nigel Blake on January 15, 2008 at 1:43 PM
Oh yes, I really like this, I don't mind the branch not re-entering the water, not a nit for me, however I think the horizontal ripple-top highlights in the foreground from the Dipper take the eye a bit too much and I would be inclined to tone them down a little. Great shot though!
A superb image, agree perhaps tone down the highlights a tad, but the setting and atmosphere are really great...
Posted by Dave Sewell on January 15, 2008 at 2:35 PM
Absolute belter.
Posted by Jeroen Stel on January 15, 2008 at 2:45 PM
Hi Guys,
This shot was not cropped on the left side and the branch was very cluttered just beond the part where i cut it.
To Jacqui: I did not wait that long, but searched around the park near the diverse waterfalls and streams as that was where i suspected the bird would hang out. After about 30 minutes of searching (it was a large park.. ), i saw a white spot underneath a dense tree at the waters edge and saw its refelction in the water. It was too dark so i tried to get closer by moving at 45 degrees angles towards him. Then i just waited and the bird started to get used to my presence and started swimming and hunting for fish
Some time later it went for some more interesting perches...
I think i took about 400 shots in 2,5 hours and i think around 10 are interesting enough to keep (others have cluttered backgrounds etc..)
Hello Jeroen,
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions! 400 shots! wow and 10 keepers, I am surprised, dont know why but I am .......
I have heard where there are some waterfalls not far away and a fast flowing river which is even closer, I would so like to get a potograph like yours...
I just have to wait for the weather to clear up then I will venture out of my garden
Also I only have a 300 + 1.4
Jacqui
Posted by Graeme Lee on January 15, 2008 at 3:43 PM
Oh man, this is fantastic Jeroen. It grieves me greatly actually
Agree with Nigel here, the left hand side doesn't bother me at all. I want one like this
Posted by Jeroen Stel on January 15, 2008 at 4:36 PM
Hi Jacqui,
A 300mm + 1.4 would have been enough in this case as i could approach this Dipper up to 3 to 4 meters when being very carefull. The 10 Keepers is because i am being really nitpicking..and because of the bad weather...
Posted by Andy Astbury on January 15, 2008 at 8:31 PM
Perfect
Posted by eric weight on January 16, 2008 at 1:11 AM
Fantastic shot, beautifully composed. Just when I think I am getting somewhere, somebody nonchalently puts the bar up a bit higher. Eric
Posted by tony flashman on January 16, 2008 at 8:01 AM
One species that I have still to capture, this is really a great shot.
Have you tried flipping the image so that the bird is looking left to right? For me I think it works better that way.
Best regards
Tony
Posted by John Chapman on January 16, 2008 at 8:12 AM
Hi Jeroen great picture and I like the branch and comp.
John
Aberdeen
Posted by Paul Inglis on January 16, 2008 at 8:39 AM
Now this is a cracking shot. Great light, superb composition, basically an awesome image.
Posted by Jim Greenfield on January 16, 2008 at 10:07 AM
Like everything about it - brilliant and 5 stars for effort given the conditions
Posted by Javier Martin on January 16, 2008 at 10:26 AM
Great shot with the bird in its environment rather than the typical portrait. Amazing noise control at ISO 1600.
Javier
Posted by Elliott Neep on January 16, 2008 at 12:02 PM
This is superb. It is rare to achieve such a clean and uncluttered image of a dipper. The rain adds a really nice element to it.
Posted by Danny Green on January 16, 2008 at 3:48 PM
Discussion
24 repliesIt was not easy though to get some clean shots of this Dipper as it was raining al day long and i had to shoot 1600 ISO just to get some speed...
Greetings,
Jeroen Stel
Canon Eos 1D Mark3
Shutter speed: 1/90 sec
Aperture: F 6,3
Exposure mode: AV
Exposure compensation: -2/3
Flash:no
Flash exposure compensation: -
Metering mode: Evaluative
Drive mode: AI Focus
ISO: 1600
Lens: Canon 600mm F4 + 1.4 TC
Focal length:1092 mm
AF mode: Auto Focus
On tripod and Wimberley Sidekick
Levels/Curves/USM/Contrast/Saturation/Noise Ninja/Lab-Sharpening
Click image for larger version Name: Waterspreeuw-1.jpg Views: 0 Size: 132.8 KB ID: 1889
Size: 132.8 KB
__________________
Good things come to those who wait...
Golden rule in Nature & Wildlife Photography
www.jeroenstel.com
only nit is, i would have prefered it if you could see the left hand end of the twig re-entering the water (assuming it did)
I love the simplicity of the composition, the twig and the rain it's lovely and the colours are all wonderful,
I just hope that one day I will be able to get photographs like this
Out of curiosity how long did you hang around waiting for the bird to show, many pictures did you take and how many were none keepers?
Sorry if I am being nosey but I'm just curious how you experts work
Jacqui
Dave
This shot was not cropped on the left side and the branch was very cluttered just beond the part where i cut it.
To Jacqui: I did not wait that long, but searched around the park near the diverse waterfalls and streams as that was where i suspected the bird would hang out. After about 30 minutes of searching (it was a large park..
Some time later it went for some more interesting perches...
I think i took about 400 shots in 2,5 hours and i think around 10 are interesting enough to keep (others have cluttered backgrounds etc..)
Greetings,
Jeroen Stel
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions! 400 shots! wow and 10 keepers, I am surprised, dont know why but I am .......
I have heard where there are some waterfalls not far away and a fast flowing river which is even closer, I would so like to get a potograph like yours...
I just have to wait for the weather to clear up then I will venture out of my garden
Also I only have a 300 + 1.4
Jacqui
Agree with Nigel here, the left hand side doesn't bother me at all. I want one like this
A 300mm + 1.4 would have been enough in this case as i could approach this Dipper up to 3 to 4 meters when being very carefull. The 10 Keepers is because i am being really nitpicking..and because of the bad weather...
Greetings,
Jeroen Stel
Have you tried flipping the image so that the bird is looking left to right? For me I think it works better that way.
Best regards
Tony
John
Aberdeen
Javier
Danny