Yellow Wagtail pair

Another shot from the remotely operated camera set-up at my pool.
EOS 1Ds MkII + 20-35mm, Breezebrowser pro and CS3, slight crop from right and top to even up the framing.
2008:06:19 17:41:57
20-35mm @ 25mm
1/500 sec, f/11
Mode: Av
Metering: Evaluative
ISO: 400
AF mode: One-shot AF
Drive: Continuous: frame 1
White balance: Auto
Flash: Off
File size: 14.5MB
Image size: 4992 x 3328
Color matrix 4: Adobe RGB
Color space: AdobeRGB
Saturation: Normal
Contrast: -1
Sharpness level: 0
Tone: Normal
Custom Functions:
CFn 17: Expand AF activation area to 7 AF points

Now this is very interesting and different. Well done Nigel. I really hope to see more of this.

Edwin Kats

excellent Nigel, I like that a lot. A very unusual viewpoint and a very attractive pair of birds.

Matt

I'm really enjoying these shots Nigel and this is no exception - great thinking and another "different" and very worthwhile image - nice job

Another cracking shot Nigel!
Must be very difficult to set up the composition for this type of shot, must be a lot of not quite there shots which end up in the bin,its good that the reflections are not visable as I think it would ruin the shot!

Keep um coming!!!

Craig
www.craigchurchill.co.uk

Another excellent wide-angle image. I too am enjoying the series

Was the 'pool' already there Nigel or did you create it specifically?

i really like these Nigel, just so different. Have you thought of using a grey grad to darken the sky down a bit? not the easiest thing to set up and anything that's height take it into the sky wouldn't work.

Like everyone else I think that these are something special - excellent work.



Mark

Many thanks all, I had considered ND grads, but when the Lapwing and Stock Doves (not got a sharp shot of these yet} appear they are tall enough to extend into the sky area, the other problem to overcome is that in really peachy (lower sun) light I get a shadow of the camera and other "toys" encroaching into frame.
I have a reflector in place permanently now for the birds to get used too before I start shooting from a different POV and using the reflector as a fill.
I am getting about a 10% hit rate at the moment, having the viewfinder video-assist means that I only shoot when the framing looks about right on the monitor....... however its very frustrating spending ages looking at bits of bird in frame, or when the subject is to close to focus.
The pool was a flooded corner of a field, all I have done is kept it topped-up because I could see the potential for doing this type of shot, mainly because of the uncluttered sky-line.

There are more on my Blog site now, Lapwings and Pied Wags, too!

The pool was a flooded corner of a field, all I have done is kept it topped-up because I could see the potential for doing this type of shot, mainly because of the uncluttered sky-line.

Thanks Nigel. Great set-up and looking forward to more.

Had wondered how this set-up would work with the smaller species Nigel, and whether it would be as effective as the lapwings.

No dought in my mind that it has worked very effectively

Love the diminishing size from the LH bird, to the RH bird, thanks to the W/A perspective.

I think this is wonderful, and a kick in the pants for todays super-tele/ tc work.

Alan

Another great shot - and those on your blog. Really enjoying this series.
Keep 'em coming!


Simon

Hi Nigel
they just keep getting better and better. good thinking and execution

Works really well on a pair of one of my favourite birds - great project sir.



Mark

Excellent shot Nigel not only from the low POV and the set up involved but also showing Male & Female together. How oftens do you see that?

Major.

Many thanks again!
The two wagtails are feeding young at the moment, I have been feeding them mealworms in a small pot stood on the mud, every so often I take the pot away and the birds arrive and just look at the place it would be, thats when I take the shots, I then replace the pot of worms for a while again when they have flown off.
Saddly the tamest Lapwing has moulted a few breast feathers and looks a little tattier today.

Very nice image, most unusual, the colours work nicely too, nice to see some WA shots for a change.

Very nice image and very different from the norm. Well worth the detailed planning and execution.

Robert.

It has all been said already and I am really enjoying this 'out of the box' kind of work. Superb use of W/A but I'm wondering if it couldn't take a little more USM..?

Brett.

Thanks again; I think that there may be some degree of variation in monitor sharpness depending on make and model, on my LaCie it starts to look over sharpened past the amount already applied.

Really liking this series! This is great, fantastic colours, and the position and pose of the birds really make it!

I guess it's a bit hit and miss, but really worth it!



PS. Sharpning looks spot on on my monitor...

This is great-out of the box photography-keep em coming

Dave

Nice to see some w-a shots for a change - it's a frustrating job to get the composition right, so a tip of the hat for getting everything in the frame.

Bloody brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Danny

Fantastic stuff.

Hi Nigel - still going well with the set-up then. Really like this with the two birds. I think it works even better than the lapwings.