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Thread: Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

  1. #1
    jprzybyla's Avatar
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    Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    Yesterday my wife and I drove to the east coast, specifically Merrit Island National Wildlife Refuge. We drove along Black Point Wildlife Drive which was loaded with birds. Egrets, Spoonbills, Avocets, Herons and different species of Ducks. I captured this Spoonbill as it flew across in front of me. This bird is one of my favorite large birds to photograph, so colorful and graceful in flight. C&C welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for viewing.

    Best viewed at the larger size.

    #1

    Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    #2

    Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    #3

    Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    #4

    Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...
    Last edited by jprzybyla; 30th November 2012 at 01:49 PM.

  2. #2

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    Re: Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    Joe, great shots and for me #4 is it! The clarity in the feathers really show up on the wing span!
    Am visiting in Naples, Fl and went at 5 a.m to try some beach birds photos. I have not graduated to in-flight yet as they are always fuzzy. Got some good 'standing' shots tho.
    We have similar equipment, so I know there is hope for me yet!
    Nancy

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    davidedric's Avatar
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    Re: Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    Great shots, Joe, love the lighting. Feel insanely jealous!

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    Re: Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    That is a fantastic looking bird and really well caught.

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    Re: Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    The wings and feather detail are great in all of them, but I particularly like the first one with the dark red highlights on the tip and the way the end feathers are tilted to help him turn I guess. Beautiful.

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    Re: Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    Very well done, Joe. #1 and 2 are super sharp.

  7. #7
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    Re: Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    Well done Joe. I particularly like #4 - the streamlined body and the fully expanded wings. Good color, good exposure.

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    Re: Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    Joe - Can I just add my compliments to those already paid for this very impressive set of images. That, I think, is quality stuff. I love the whole mood and atmosphere created by the first image. More than any of the others it tells a wonderful story about the bird's 'lazy' flight behaviour. Wonderful.

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    Moderator Dave Humphries's Avatar
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    Re: Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    Wow Joe, there's no stopping you is there?

    Hard to pick, but I think #2 is my favourite.

    Cheers,
    Last edited by Dave Humphries; 1st December 2012 at 11:36 AM.

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    Re: Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    Great shots Joe. No 1 looks so sleek and with a balanced symentry and 4 captures the amazing structure of a birds wings so well.
    How do you get the exposure right against the bright sky?

  11. #11
    Moderator Dave Humphries's Avatar
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    Re: Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    Quote Originally Posted by andrewaxford View Post
    How do you get the exposure right against the bright sky?
    I can answer that; experience

    After a while; weeks of shooting, you get to quickly assess the exposure compensation required for the birds of different species, with their (overall and small area) tones so you don't blow the brightest parts (which makes 'em look soft, so must be avoided).

    Then, if shooting any kind of Auto or Semi-Auto Exposure, you also have to assess the background they are in front of - blue sky is ideal, sunlit cloud (as #1) is bearable, but backlit cloud is really a "no-no" in terms of getting a decent result. Foliage, whether in shadow or sunlit varies greatly in its suitability and that depends if you're shooting a black crow, a white swan, or a coot (nearly all black with an annoying small, but super-white crest).

    I have got to the point where, if the subject is one species*, the bird's "factors" are constant, so once an optimal exposure is found, I switch to Manual Exposure and can shoot away, regardless of background; sky, sunlit cloud or foliage, and know that the bird's exposure will be correct (assuming it doesn't traverse too wide an angle of lighting and goes from sunlit to backlit or flies/lands in the shade).

    * if you are at the local pond with a selection of the three species I just mentioned in the same place and you're trying to capture all of them, you're fighting an up-hill exposure battle and you either go to a semi-auto mode and average metering (and hope for the best), or select a species and shoot only that for 20-30 minutes to improve your chances by shooting Manual, then switch species (and adjust manual exposure accordingly).

    If the light falling on the subject isn't changing (i.e. thy are not constantly in and out of sunlight), there really is only one 'correct' exposure and the differences in exposure between species often isn't that great. Scene brightness also varies as they present different aspects to us, which can fool meters.

    Well that's how I do it Andrew - if Joe does it any differently, we will learn even more.

    UPDATE: I just checked Joe's EXIF, which (I think) confirms my theory, he shot the with a Nikon D7000 on Manual (all are 1/2000s at f/5.6), but he had Auto-ISO on and that varies between 180 and 200 iso for most with 160 iso for the first.

    If we shoot RAW, that's easily within the recovery range available in RAW PP.
    For birds in flight/perched, I believe it is safer to err to under exposure to avoid clipping and losing detail and sharpness.

    Cheers,
    Last edited by Dave Humphries; 1st December 2012 at 12:19 PM.

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    jprzybyla's Avatar
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    Re: Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    Quote Originally Posted by Nancy Moran G View Post
    Joe, great shots and for me #4 is it! The clarity in the feathers really show up on the wing span!
    Am visiting in Naples, Fl and went at 5 a.m to try some beach birds photos. I have not graduated to in-flight yet as they are always fuzzy. Got some good 'standing' shots tho.
    We have similar equipment, so I know there is hope for me yet!
    Nancy
    Hello Nancy, thank you for taking time to view and comment on my posted images. I would say that your fuzzy birds in flight are from either too slow a shutter speed or not panning correctly. There are two ways of photographing birds in flight. The firs it with a relatively slow shutter speed, 1/500 and panning as the bird flies past keep the bird centered in the viewfinder. This way will show the head, body, legs and feet in sharp focus while the wings will be blurred indicating motion. This happens to me when I did not anticipate the bird taking flight. The way I prefer is to use a high shutter speed, in this case 1/2000 and freeze the motion of the bird. I prefer this way because I like seeing how the feathers are set and the fine detail in the feathers. Flying birds take practice to keep them centered in the viewfinder. Also allowing multiple focusing points to be active and using a continuous auto focusing mode makes it easier.

  13. #13
    jprzybyla's Avatar
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    Re: Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    Quote Originally Posted by davidedric View Post
    Great shots, Joe, love the lighting. Feel insanely jealous!
    Hello David, they should still be around when you vacation here in February. Just shoot what is in front of you with the sun at your back. Thank you for viewing and commenting.

  14. #14
    jprzybyla's Avatar
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    Re: Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    Quote Originally Posted by Bobobird View Post
    That is a fantastic looking bird and really well caught.
    Thanks Bobo, I appreciate your comments. Keep shooting my friend.

  15. #15
    Moderator Dave Humphries's Avatar
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    Re: Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    Quote Originally Posted by jprzybyla View Post
    Just shoot what is in front of you with the sun at your back.
    Yes, this is another thing that comes with experience; putting yourself in the best place (up-sun from the subject's likely flight paths) and considering where it'll be in 3 hours time - when you'll probably still be there (you need patience too).

    I don't know if it is a UK thing, but I am always astounded at the number of hides on reserves here where you end up shooting into the sun all day
    I bet they'll say it's all down to the geography of the site, but I smell a conspiracy

    Cheers,

  16. #16
    jprzybyla's Avatar
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    Re: Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    Quote Originally Posted by CLK View Post
    The wings and feather detail are great in all of them, but I particularly like the first one with the dark red highlights on the tip and the way the end feathers are tilted to help him turn I guess. Beautiful.
    Hello Connie, thank you for your comments and taking time to view the images. I try to capture images that show the feather detail. I find bird beautiful and marvel at the colors and detail in the feathers.

  17. #17
    jprzybyla's Avatar
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    Re: Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    Quote Originally Posted by jeeperman View Post
    Very well done, Joe. #1 and 2 are super sharp.
    Thanks Paul, I appreciate your comments. Keep shooting my friend.

  18. #18
    jprzybyla's Avatar
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    Re: Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    Quote Originally Posted by cliffmccartney View Post
    Well done Joe. I particularly like #4 - the streamlined body and the fully expanded wings. Good color, good exposure.
    Thank you Cliff, I appreciate you taking time to view and comment.

  19. #19
    jprzybyla's Avatar
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    Re: Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    Quote Originally Posted by Donald View Post
    Joe - Can I just add my compliments to those already paid for this very impressive set of images. That, I think, is quality stuff. I love the whole mood and atmosphere created by the first image. More than any of the others it tells a wonderful story about the bird's 'lazy' flight behaviour. Wonderful.
    Thank you Donald, I appreciate you viewing and commenting on my images. The cameras and lenses of today enable capturing excellent images. Having begun photograhy when lenses were manual focus and exposure was set by twisting dials and rings to center a pointer I am thrilled with the tools photography offers today.

  20. #20
    jprzybyla's Avatar
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    Re: Roseate Spoonbill In Flight...

    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Humphries View Post
    Wow Joe, there's no stopping you is there?

    Hard to pick, but I think #2 is my favourite.

    Cheers,
    Thanks Dave, very much appreciated.

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