I'm not quite sure on this one, it looks like because of the flash, the starlings had been placed there - I'm saying that what you've done. I don't wanna cause a big argument !
It's interesting how quickly our thoughts turn to digital manipulation. I'm assuming that's what Andy was hinting at also but I could be wrong. Sign of the times I suppose.
Only the usual global adjustments have been made to this image.
An interesting shot Terry - I like the idea, but the shot is an 'almost there', but not quite. The nearest birds are catching too much of flash and so are showing a shadow between the ambient exposure and flash exposure (presume you're on 2nd curtain sync), so I think you either need to turn down the flash power, or try and diffuse the flash.... or try and hit a time when the flash & ambient are balanced a bit more.
Hope you're wearing a hat with all those starlings around
Any type of image of this nature will be really difficult to get 'less harsh' given the lack of control over the subjects and their proximity to the camera/flash.
Minute I saw this I thought - yes - excellent - another part of the 'story' that this will result in if you keep working at it.
For me - the 'flash exposed' birds add a surreal but not unpleasant aspect to this image. I know technically why they look like that and it does not bother me in the slightest. They help to define the fact that starlings may be considered as 'flocks' but they are in reality a collection of individuals. This type of fill-flash treatment allows several of the birds to be isolated and the viewer can then see them for what they are - separate birds - component parts of the greater whole. The closer birds are detailed and as you go further back into the flock they become less so and more dark and silhouetted.
To build on this I would repeat this shot, same place, different lens - maybe a 300 or so and drag some birds in tight against the two tall high-rises behind - try and 'freeze' a couple of birds in the gap between the buildings - use the urban landscape features in exactly the same way as you would use real landscape features, as compositional aids.
Do you know how to manually meter for ambient exposures at dusk for artificially lit buildings? Spot the sky somewhere thats a mid-tone, spot the building somewhere thats a mid-tone, and when the sky is a stop brighter than the building start shooting through the next 15/20 minutes or so as the sky/building become the same exposure, until the sky is one stop darker - that gives you a three stop window of opportunity that will allow nice building exposures against a well balanced sky and if you can get some starlings zipping past and hit them with the fill flash you might get something magical!
Keep working at this - the more you experiment so much more of the story of these birds will start to take shape.
As an aside - if you present this work as a digital presentation (eg for us fortunate Mac users - using Keynote) you can 'animate' the birds with dissolve overlays to give an impression of movement. Taking a more narrative approach can start to make you think in different ways about how you should be recording them - eg for this particular shot maybe with a high frame rate to allow such sequential digital presentation.
We have some fantastic digital tools available to us today for telling stories like this, and the reality is that the success of such story telling is really in the breadth of images taken that show different aspects of the birds lives, rather than any one killer shot. Although its good to get those too!
Thanks John for such comprehensive advice. It's good of you to take the time to do this.
Cheers
Terry
Posted by Mark Sisson on December 8, 2008 at 4:03 AM
John's right Terry - as part of a story telling project (your raison d'etre I believe on this project) then this is a fine element that will only add to the work and at the same time give you a basis to build on.
You're welcome. This is a great story idea and to be encouraged.
And I would add to the digital presentation aspect - dont forget to take 'empty' images - ie images taken before the subject appears, because this becomes the start shot of a sequence where you can then introduce the birds as a dissolve. Its a darn site easier than trying to clone them out later to get an empty shot!
Keep at it and as Mark says, keep us posted of progress. Undertaking stories of this type is an excellent idea to stimulate your creative and technical juices.
Discussion
10 repliesThey didn't turn on the main lights in time last night for more sign photos.
D3
24-60 @ 52
ISO 1600
1/80th @ f8
Flash
interesting image though, well done
Drew
Only the usual global adjustments have been made to this image.
Cheers
Terry
Hope you're wearing a hat with all those starlings around
Yes, I am trying for more of a balanced, rear sync flash effect and I agree this is too harsh. . Back to the drawing board.
Cheers
Terry
Any type of image of this nature will be really difficult to get 'less harsh' given the lack of control over the subjects and their proximity to the camera/flash.
Minute I saw this I thought - yes - excellent - another part of the 'story' that this will result in if you keep working at it.
For me - the 'flash exposed' birds add a surreal but not unpleasant aspect to this image. I know technically why they look like that and it does not bother me in the slightest. They help to define the fact that starlings may be considered as 'flocks' but they are in reality a collection of individuals. This type of fill-flash treatment allows several of the birds to be isolated and the viewer can then see them for what they are - separate birds - component parts of the greater whole. The closer birds are detailed and as you go further back into the flock they become less so and more dark and silhouetted.
To build on this I would repeat this shot, same place, different lens - maybe a 300 or so and drag some birds in tight against the two tall high-rises behind - try and 'freeze' a couple of birds in the gap between the buildings - use the urban landscape features in exactly the same way as you would use real landscape features, as compositional aids.
Do you know how to manually meter for ambient exposures at dusk for artificially lit buildings? Spot the sky somewhere thats a mid-tone, spot the building somewhere thats a mid-tone, and when the sky is a stop brighter than the building start shooting through the next 15/20 minutes or so as the sky/building become the same exposure, until the sky is one stop darker - that gives you a three stop window of opportunity that will allow nice building exposures against a well balanced sky and if you can get some starlings zipping past and hit them with the fill flash you might get something magical!
Keep working at this - the more you experiment so much more of the story of these birds will start to take shape.
As an aside - if you present this work as a digital presentation (eg for us fortunate Mac users - using Keynote) you can 'animate' the birds with dissolve overlays to give an impression of movement. Taking a more narrative approach can start to make you think in different ways about how you should be recording them - eg for this particular shot maybe with a high frame rate to allow such sequential digital presentation.
We have some fantastic digital tools available to us today for telling stories like this, and the reality is that the success of such story telling is really in the breadth of images taken that show different aspects of the birds lives, rather than any one killer shot. Although its good to get those too!
Cheers
Terry
Keep it up and keep us involved if you can.
Mark
And I would add to the digital presentation aspect - dont forget to take 'empty' images - ie images taken before the subject appears, because this becomes the start shot of a sequence where you can then introduce the birds as a dissolve. Its a darn site easier than trying to clone them out later to get an empty shot!
Keep at it and as Mark says, keep us posted of progress. Undertaking stories of this type is an excellent idea to stimulate your creative and technical juices.