Avocet in Flight

I almost got a 'good' flight shot. I was disappointed to see lack of sharpness in the RAW image but some basic post processing helped. To compensate for lack of room in the top I had to crop the bottom and left parts of the image.

You almost got a very nice image of this avocet, Pradeep. As it is, you still got a better shot than many people get! It is too bad that you cut off the top of the wing.

Could you post your exposure details, type of camera, etc, so I can better comment on the image?

Geoff, Here is the EXIF data, and I didnt cut off the top of the wing purposely :) I just couldn't get it in the frame as the bird flew.

Camera Model Name
Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT
Shooting Date/Time
5/28/2006 09:11:42
Tv(Shutter Speed)
1/2000Sec.
Av(Aperture Value)
F6.3
Metering Modes
Evaluative metering
Exposure Compensation
-1/3
ISO Speed
200
Lens
400mm
Focal Length
400.0 mm

No, I know you didn't do it purposely, Pradeep I have done the same thing more times than you can imagine!

Your shutter speed was definitely fast enough to capture the action given the focal length you were shooting at. I'm guessing that you were handholding the camera/lens rather than having had it mounted on a tripod and using something like a Wimberley mount, right? And I'm further guessing that your lens (you don't state which lens) doesn't have IS? If I'm right in both assumptions then that probably explains why you didn't get the critically sharp image you were looking for. Still, it's not that bad at all. My success rate on handheld inflight images is not very good.

Where did you take this shot?

Thanks Geoff, you are absolutely right. This shot was hand held and the lens is the canon 400 mm prime and it has no IS.

Thanks Geoff, you are absolutely right. This shot was hand held and the lens is the canon 400 mm prime and it has no IS. This was taken at the Malheur wildlife refuge.

I haven't been to Malheur yet. But, I hope to get there sometime this summer!