Cute Coots?

[KCBrecks]

If there is one thing baby coots aren't it's cute.

These little birds were sat in their nest at the edge of a 6ft bank of reeds on the towpath side of a canal. Mom and dad were away foraging nearby. It was around 7pm on a bright sunny evening with the sun off to the right. The camera was set to Sport Mode using the EF75-300mm lens at 1/500th F5.

[Donald]

Keith - When you say set to 'Sport Mode', I take it that means you were shooting JPEG. Have you thought about coming off those modes and starting to shoot RAW? That will mean you get into post-processing and give you much more control of the finished image.

As to this image, well you have to agree that they're not the cutest things in the world, but I'm sure their mummy loves them!

That was a very difficult lighting situation you were in, with the harsh sunlight. And that bit of reed arching through the head of the one on the left is obviously a big problem.

[jeeperman]

Keith, Donald has made some valid points. RAW would have given you a bit of leeway in your PP and some of the shadows and highlights may have been helped a degree or two.

Had I shot this scene my settings would have likely been A or AV for some, ISO 400 F8-F11 which depending on the light given me a shutter somewhere between 1/300 an 1/600 possibly faster if that sun was direct and not diffused. If that were the case I would lower the ISO to suit. plenty enough even at the low end. This would have given you a Bit more DOF and the chick in the rear would be a bit sharper.

[KCBrecks]

Donald,

Thanks for taking the time to comment. As you say, I was shooting JPeg. The RAW capability is very new to me as it was only at New Year I began using a camera which allows for it. I was using the Sport setting as the exact location very often has a heron on it and I was hoping for some more shots of it taking off.

The transition from bridge and compact camera has not been as simple as I had hoped. It is 15 years since I used a SLR, and then it was for building records and they tend to be more static. I will get there, perhaps, one day. At the moment I am making as sure as I can that I get the best results I can for a holiday coming up in 35 days and 10 hours with daughter and her two boys in Florida. My first visit to the States. That will be lots of 'snap' shots I think, just like the coots.

I agree that the bit of reed is a problem but that is one of the problems of wild life pictures - most of the time they cannot be posed. In this case removing that would have meant wading in 2ft of water over 2ft of mud for 6ft or so by which time the chicks would have upped and gone. Perhaps a little time with the healing brush in PS might help.

[KCBrecks]

Thanks Paul,

One of the main differences I am finding between the bridge and compact cameras I have used for years and this first DSLR is that the lens on the small sensor cameras have such wide DOF. It is a nuisance if you want the subject highlighted and the background blurred as that can be difficult to achieve, unlike the DSLR. Normally on a walk such as the one we were on I would have set the camera to it's Landscape mode so that the lens would be focusing from just a few feet to infinity. It does tend to mean you can walk around a corner, see something and press the shutter with a chance of getting a picture. Perhaps it is 'horses for courses' and my trusty Kodak will have it's uses yet.

The main drawback I have with using RAW is that is slows the camera down so much. 3fps in JPeg is useful for flighty birds and squirrels, 1.5 in RAW isn't that good. Now when I can afford a better camera .... I will be able to get shots of the flying pigs.

I can see that I now have to experiment with the other end of the mode dial a bit more. AV here we come.

[KCBrecks]

Hi Paul,

I took the camera manual with me this morning for something to read whilst I was waiting to find out if I was still alive at my annual health check at the quacks. The section on AV was most illuminating. I have, of course, read it before but I find that unless there is a relevant context information like that is just there in the background. I will have to give that a proper try out now. Unfortunately it has now started raining and the weather looks like being poor for a few days so opportunities are going to be sparse.

Thanks for pointing me in a new direction.

[jeeperman]

No worries Keith. I am sure you will enjoy the use of this setting, it is one of my favorites. Manual after that. However for being able to control the important things such as DOF in a quick manor it is hard to beat. If I need a quick change in shutter speed up or down I can change my ISO easily without any DOF change. This is great for birds, animals, street shooting and more. Have fun.