Getting down low

[Phill Luckhurst]

I love shooting birds super low. Often as a result my camera or lens has found itself getting a bit soggy when trying to get level with the water. This shot was on land though but I do like getting really low there too and pushing my kit into the foliage. I am never really happy unless I am eye level with my subjects. Unfortunately as I get older I have injured my back a couple of times.

• Canon EOS R7
• ƒ/5.6
• 400mm
• 1/3200s
• ISO 200
• Fri, 26 May 2023 11:19 AM

 

[Steve Kaluski]

Phil, best to post separately.

 

[Phill Luckhurst]

Phil, best to post separately.

Edited. I didn’t want to make too many posts. I get more joy from looking at others shots on here and learning from them.

 

[Steve Kaluski]

I agree Phil, and the facility for multiple posts may end, however posting and adding feedback & comments is a great way to build the community, as we can all learn from one another.

Trust you didn’t get too wet today, crap weather!

Will comment tomorrow once ‘Whopper’ is booted up.

BTW are you north London Tottenham/Arsenal way???

 

[Phill Luckhurst]

I agree Phil, and the facility for multiple posts may end, however posting and adding feedback & comments is a great way to build the community, as we can all learn from one another.

Trust you didn’t get too wet today, crap weather!

Will comment tomorrow once ‘Whopper’ is booted up.

BTW are you north London Tottenham/Arsenal way???

I am about 30miles north of London. I spend much of my time at the Tring reservoirs and surrounding area when out shooting wildlife as it is only 5 mins from home.

 

[Steve Kaluski]

Morning Phill

I love shooting birds super low. Often as a result my camera or lens has found itself getting a bit soggy when trying to get level with the water.

Good for you, Dan C is a great advocate of that here in Avian and we try to do the same in Wildlife, if the options arise, but fish guts and bear poo isn't the most fragrant to lie in.... Clothes and kit can be easily cleaned, but it's so rewarding when you get that shot. Shooting at eye level and lower also helps connect the viewer with the subject and helps on that 'bokeh/mush' backdrop we constantly strive for.

OK, so to the image, I like it, the 400 shooting wide open has created that lovely bokeh and frames/envelopes the Puffin nicely, with plenty of space all round for the subject to breathe in. You have also a BKG that compliments the colour palette of the subject too. The Head Angle, (HA) looks a fraction turned away and viewed at 100% you could add some additional sharpening. I might also clone that large HL spot to the back of the head, just draws the eye. I think you could have also dropped the SS, no harm here, but 1/2500 would have been just as good. At ISO 200 forget any use of Noise reduction, it's a bad habit, you should really be thinking of using it perhaps around 1600, but probably 2000 plus and at ISO2000 then the amount should be found around 10. Folk get obsessed about these ultra smooth backdrops and it looks almost plastic, and if printed you would not see any grain, plus if you are using Lr it will just boost your file size and with the update to Ps there is a far better workaround where you can control both subject BKG separately.

Just an option because od the style, a vignette does work and helps draw the viewer in, somewhere around 30 in terms of amount.

Post the Pigeon!!!

I am about 30miles north of London.

OK when you said N London I thought Tottenham way, I'm closer to Regents park.

TFS
Steve

 

[Phill Luckhurst]

Now you point out that highlight I cannot stop seeing it. As for the shutter speed, I was concentrating so hard at getting those puffin flying in with a beak full of eels shots. I only had 4 hrs on the saltee island and had a lot to shoot. It was my first visit there and what a great place it is. As a result my head was full and dropping the shutter speed was not at the front my of my brain. I remember making a lot of little mistakes that day. Absolutely loved it though and hopefully will return next May.

I visit Regents Park occasionally as it’s not too far from where I work in NW9. Always nice to see the little owls and occasionally the snakes.

 

[Steve Kaluski]

OK, also watch went you convert to sRGB, as you are not embedding the profile.

 

[Phill Luckhurst]

I simply use the save for web (legacy) feature of Photoshop. The export function strips some EXIF but save for web doesn’t. Oh, the pigeon was a cuckoo. I’ll do that later.

 

[Steve Kaluski]

The export function strips some EXIF but save for web doesn’t.

Phill, we can either speak and you check and tell me what you see in front of you, or I can email a screen grab?

 

[Phill Luckhurst]

Phill, we can either speak and you check and tell me what you see in front of you, or I can email a screen grab?

I’ve found the check box in PS now. I’ll make sure future exports use it. Thanks for the tip. I’ll post the cuckoo without for now as my PC has decided that the CPU fan no longer wants to be a fan. The new cooler arrives tomorrow.

 

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hey Phil super shot of the comical bird ...
i do like the design and the simple appearance of the shot .
Nice tonal range and the subject does stand out nicely .
Not sure, but the white balance does look slightly too much on the red/warm side here on the laptop ... but maybe the light was that way during capture .

LOvely shot and TFS Andreas

 

[Phill Luckhurst]

Thanks Andreas. Unfortunately the saltee islands are accessible via boat which runs hourly from 9am to 4pm in the spring and summer. So it is not possible to get there in the best lighting conditions. The day had bright sunshine, was horribly hot and was retaken during the afternoon as that was the only space available on the boat to book. So light is always compromised there hence the warm side. I would love to pop out there on my own boat, which is allowed, but as I live in the UK and these are in Ireland it would be logistically challenging.

 

[Andreas Liedmann]

Phill ... i had a look about the access to that place , it is like some other islands on the British coast .
So one has to deal with the given light .
If the image was taken in broad daylight, or early afternoon , I would expect less warmth in the image .
The whites would appear more neutral from my POV , but as colors are subjective ... you might see this differently .
Just my thoughts

Cheers Andreas