This week a works meeting some 80 miles from home finished early and so I took the opportunity to take a look at a nearby lake. Good job I did as there was a pair of Grebes on the water and I was able to get my first ever shots.
Now I know it is far from being a great picture but believe me when I say I was pretty chuffed with what I got. I am going up for another meeting in about six weeks so will get up there early and try again.
I had the camera in portrait mode taking some shots of some mute swans when this Grebe popped up behind me. It 'stood up' on the water flapped its wings a couple of times then dived. I just had time to run off a couple of frames and this one is actually a horizontal crop from full width of the portrait. Believe me, the beak is at the edge of the frame and the tail on the other edge!
EOS 30D
Sigma 500mm
tripod
exp: 1/1000 @ f8 asa 500
Posted by Major Gilbert on March 21, 2008 at 1:44 PM
You shouldnt have got so near Robert.
I think I would be well pleased myself. It is just a pity that there isnt a bit more room to play with. Major.
Posted by Andy Astbury on March 21, 2008 at 1:46 PM
What a great capture - there's plenty of us on here would kill for this Robert
Now the nit - overly tight, please tell me this is a crop, then put some of the space back in front of the bird
Super action
Posted by Paul Inglis on March 21, 2008 at 1:58 PM
Hi Robert,
We all spend some much time getting close to nature for frame filling shots and he's you needing to take a step back!
Very nice capture! Shame you weren't shooting in landscape mode then this would have turned out a corker!
Unfortunately Andy there is absolutely no extra space. I'd love to have been a yard further back or, as Paul said, shooting in landscape but .... ces't la vie !
I have another shot with the bird stood upright and wings a flapping and on that I've lost the wing tip... bummer eh.
Posted by Andy Astbury on March 21, 2008 at 2:20 PM
That'll teach me not to read a post fully - spot the looney
Posted by Paul Inglis on March 21, 2008 at 2:27 PM
This was in the second or so before the first. This is basically full frame, just a sliver off the top.
Posted by Andy Astbury on March 21, 2008 at 3:08 PM
Don't for one minute suppose you have the missing wing tip on another frame do you Robert?
Doesn't matter if the frame is rubbish just as long as the tip is there.
Posted by eric weight on March 21, 2008 at 3:15 PM
Crikey, you have two cracking shots there, both sadly spoiled by being to close. A problem I have never had with anything. At the risk of re-igniting the 'how much manipulation is OK' debate, I have to say that I would be trying very hard to patch some more water around the first bird in photoshop. Even if it was only for my own satisfaction. Eric
Posted by Paul Ashton on March 21, 2008 at 3:57 PM
Lovely detail in some splendid action shots Robert. Not easy with a 500mm.
Andy, I've just checked and I don't have the wingtip. There are two frames between these. In one the both wings are outstretched and I've lost both wingtips and in the next the bird is coming down with wings closing. Both shots I discarded (but found in the recycle bin to confirm).
Eric, I think for me that would be too much manipulation. I do the basics on the computer, a little bit of tidying up, levels etc but I've never attempted to 'build' that much into a shot. My mindset is still in the realms of transparency work and so try to get as much of the shot in camera. Normally I would try to leave a little space for the subject to 'own' but I was caught on the hop with this. I literally just turned around from picturing a swan to see this happen behind me. I kept the portrait format because the bird had stood up and as I focused (bird fully within the composition) it opened it's wings, hence putting it out of the comp. Then to cap it all it dived forward giving me no time to change to a landscape.
Posted by Andy Shepherd on March 21, 2008 at 4:10 PM
Hi Robert,
Both would make very nice images , shame about the space and the wing tips , if you can get this close with the 500mm your bound to nail them soon , keep up the good work.
Thanks for the comments, this is another taken at the other side of the lake. I don't know if it is the same bird or the other of the pair. I know the portrait format is wrong (I do like portrait formats) but preferred the pose on this to the ones I took in landscape.
Posted by John Robinson on March 21, 2008 at 4:24 PM
Three great shots - all with a bit missing( well nearly) What a shame . Great shots all the same. Some water around the bird in no 1 as Andy says could be done. Got any other shots done at the same time with more water ?
Cheers
JohnR
Posted by John Chapman on March 21, 2008 at 5:57 PM
Hi Paul nice nearly shots of the Grebe.
John
Posted by Paul Inglis on March 22, 2008 at 7:36 AM
Hi Robert,
Some cracking images here! Next time you'll have a 300mm on instead of a 500mm to prevent this from occurring again then wished you hadn't as the subject is too small in the frame!
Discussion
17 repliesNow I know it is far from being a great picture but believe me when I say I was pretty chuffed with what I got. I am going up for another meeting in about six weeks so will get up there early and try again.
I had the camera in portrait mode taking some shots of some mute swans when this Grebe popped up behind me. It 'stood up' on the water flapped its wings a couple of times then dived. I just had time to run off a couple of frames and this one is actually a horizontal crop from full width of the portrait. Believe me, the beak is at the edge of the frame and the tail on the other edge!
EOS 30D
Sigma 500mm
tripod
exp: 1/1000 @ f8 asa 500
I think I would be well pleased myself. It is just a pity that there isnt a bit more room to play with.
Now the nit - overly tight, please tell me this is a crop, then put some of the space back in front of the bird
Super action
We all spend some much time getting close to nature for frame filling shots and he's you needing to take a step back!
Very nice capture! Shame you weren't shooting in landscape mode then this would have turned out a corker!
I have another shot with the bird stood upright and wings a flapping and on that I've lost the wing tip... bummer eh.
Doesn't matter if the frame is rubbish just as long as the tip is there.
Eric, I think for me that would be too much manipulation. I do the basics on the computer, a little bit of tidying up, levels etc but I've never attempted to 'build' that much into a shot. My mindset is still in the realms of transparency work and so try to get as much of the shot in camera. Normally I would try to leave a little space for the subject to 'own' but I was caught on the hop with this. I literally just turned around from picturing a swan to see this happen behind me. I kept the portrait format because the bird had stood up and as I focused (bird fully within the composition) it opened it's wings, hence putting it out of the comp. Then to cap it all it dived forward giving me no time to change to a landscape.
Both would make very nice images , shame about the space and the wing tips , if you can get this close with the 500mm your bound to nail them soon , keep up the good work.
Andy...
Cheers
JohnR
John
Some cracking images here! Next time you'll have a 300mm on instead of a 500mm to prevent this from occurring again then wished you hadn't as the subject is too small in the frame!