HELP!!!! need advice from bif guys --swallows in flight --GOT ONE!!!!

Great shot Denise! I like that the bird is flying into the frame with a full wing span.


Nicely done..., especially with that shorter lens!


So, lets see the Macro Garden Pictures.


Rich

dont mean to be petty.......but, richard, it is my thread, and denise's shot is a good shot, but if you are going to comment denise's, it would have been nice to comment mine as well.


jim

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Originally Posted by lynx0069

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dont mean to be petty.......but, richard, it is my thread, and denise's shot is a good shot, but if you are going to comment denise's, it would have been nice to comment mine as well.


jim
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I do apologize myself for posting the photo ...I was basically just trying to converse with you and get your opinion on if you thought it was indeed a type of swallow.

Denise

thats ok denise........i dont mind others posting there shots, it gives us something to compare, its not your fault at all. and i'm not upset or anything, especially at you.......it's just that i started the thread to get advice from other bif photographers as to how i can improve my shots and technique, and i dont mind comments on others pictures, but if they are going to comment someone elses shots, please be kind and comment and/or critique mine as well..........thats all.


jim

Hi Jim,


You're absolutely correct. Thanks for asking... Somehow, I went to the latest post and I didn't realize that you posted "new" bird shots. I thought those were the same ones from the other day.


I like the action of the birds better on your first day; wings spread in the first one, and then wings back on the second one. Those shots look more dynamic to me, generating speed and motion, howeveryour first days attempts were slightly OOF with motion blur, but it seems that you have made the necessary adjustments in shutter speed and DOF that the posters here have suggested, so nicely done for that.


The new ones are way better, because they are clear and in focus, however this particular bird looks smaller and further away to me then the first days birds, so I would like to see more zoom, however that is easer said then done with such a small fast bird.


I like the cropped version much better without the distracting background, and the bird is flying right by the viewers eye with room left over in the frame, nicely done on that one.


I guess another goal of yours should be a few images with both wings in flight, again good luck with that one, especially since they are flying so low.


It's always best to use the fastest lens that you own in this situation. I think that the 70-200mm f/4L with 1.4X (98-280mm @ f5.6) will probably be similar to the100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L, but you should definitely give it a try ( I would probably give the edge to the 100mm-400MM Lens), afterall isn't that why we have all of these lenses to play with. You should bring both lenses and switch to see which one you like better.


Looking forward to the next shots...


Rich

One of the things I've learned from following Birds As Art's bulletins from Art Morris is:


Shots are best when the sun and the wind are at your back.


Birds usually take off and land into the wind. Having the sun come from the same angle as the wind means your subjects are better lit.


If the sun and wind are opposite, you're asking for challenges. That said, I haven't looked at your shots to see if I could tell the wind direction.

Hey Jim,


First, I agree with Peety3. Absolutely true.


Second, I like your 2nd attempt much more. It's sharper and you did much better to freeze the bird's motion. But eye/head detail is non-existent. The swallow is underexposed and the background is a bit overexposed. However, I don't think I could've done any better. If you could get one of these guys to nest in a nesting box you'd have a much easier time b/c you'd know where they'd come out of. But in any case a swallow in flight is incredibly hard to shoot.


brendan





PS try these tips

thanks guys......[:D].........the sun was over my right shoulder, it was around 6 in the evening when i took the shots, and there was a slight breeze comming out of the west, as i sat on a slight rise under the shade of a maple, facing south. and, brendan, what would the proper settings be to correct the exposure to bring out more detail in the head? i used DPP to process the shots from RAW, but i could not make any more detail pop out than what i acheived already. also today, i went to an old barn i know that has about fifty nesting barn swallows in it to try and get some shots with my 70-200f/4L and didnt get any shots i was happy with, just po'd a lot of swallows, lol.


jim

Hello,





You have some very good shots for your first attempts. :)


Swallows in flight are about as hard as it gets for BIF, only swifts, house martins, and finches are as challenging.





Looking at you photos the issue seems to be your chosen shutter speed. For these type of shots you really should be looking to try and get 1/1600 second.





I specialise in bird photography and have been trying for the last few months to try and capture one of these speedy flyers with my Canon 7D and EF 300mm f/4L IS USM with and without the Canon EF Extender 1.4x II and it is very difficult.


Here are a few examples I have managed this year.


[View:http://community.the-digital-picture...awaii/utility/http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/...0eb4b9e438.jpg]


[View:http://community.the-digital-picture...awaii/utility/http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3196/...db854091d5.jpg]


House martin:


[View:http://community.the-digital-picture...awaii/utility/http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/...8382b48852.jpg]


Swift:


[View:http://community.the-digital-picture...awaii/utility/http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/...e4d0abdbef.jpg]


None of the results are outstanding but not too shabby either.


I try and aim to shoot around 1/1600 sec, f/7.1, ISO400, AI Servo, AF point expansion or Centre point only.


If the weather is overcast and miserable I will just not bother trying.


I have been trying to capture swallows hunting over corn fields similar to what you are trying and my success rate is far lower due to the background confusing the AF system.
I would be tempted to try the prefocus method as mentioned by others.

Arrh cant get the photos hosted, cant remember the script coding on this site...