The Lake is FINALLY Thawing!

I was able to get over to Lake Michigan slightly before sunset and was finally able try out my new 7D & 100-400mm lens! Thank goodness for daylight savings time!!!

I'm still VERY new at this so I know I still have lots to learn about photography and post-processing. These weren't really pp much at all ...so much to do ...so little time! Any and all suggestions highly appreciated!

These guys are patiently awaiting a full thaw of Lake Michigan!

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Thanks & have a great night,


Denise

Hi Denise,


Great shots! Glad to see you're enjoying your new gear.


Might I suggest a slight increase in colour temperature/ fiddling with your white balance settings. I think some of the shots could be a little warmer. Especially the last one where the whites in the posts/ gulls seem a little bluish to me (could just be my eyes playing tricks on me too!).


Composition's great though - I particularly like # 6.


cheers, Ben.

Eerie duck eyes [:D] LOL Are they really red? Sorry, I haven't seen that kind of ducks here on the other side of the globe.





Kidding aside, are these cropped? How far away are you from the ducks? Those are so close.

Hey Denise,


These are by far your best shots to date. #4 is my favorite. The last one would be the best, but the gulls are a bit too far to the right in the frame and the bokeh just doesn't smear out those trees in the BG. This is one of the 100-400's biggest flaws and is partially why you might want to use your 300 f/4.


I don't have anything close to Lake Michigan near me, but I do have a medium-sized pond that is also thawing. Just got over there last week for some shots, there were some geese and ring-billed gulls:





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Denise, great shots.


You can create your own bokeh, if you have PS or PS Elements. Just make another layer of the gulls, place it on top of the original image, blur it with one of the filters in the program, then erase the areas (posts and the gulls) from this layer. Flatten the image, a voila, you've got a better bokeh.

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Originally Posted by btaylor

Might I suggest a slight increase in colour temperature/ fiddling with your white balance settings. I think some of the shots could be a little warmer. Especially the last one where the whites in the posts/ gulls seem a little bluish to me (could just be my eyes playing tricks on me too!).

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Hi Ben,


Thanks for the compliments! You are correct about the last one. I did not have time to do any editing and just wanted to quickly post a few as is. There's plenty more where these came from that are probably better and I plan on going back there tonight. I was just so excited to have something other than backyard birds to photograph! It's been a long winter!

Denise

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Originally Posted by bburns223

These are by far your best shots to date.

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Thanks, Brendan! I have more that I will post periodically! It was so beautiful down by the lake, I plan on going back there tonight after work! In the 60's and sunny here but with snow on the way for the weekend!

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Originally Posted by bburns223

This is one of the 100-400's biggest flaws and is partially why you might want to use your 300 f/4.

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I don't plan on taking the 100-400mm off my camera anytime soon, I absolutely love it!

Denise

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Originally Posted by Alan

Denise, great shots.


You can create your own bokeh, if you have PS or PS Elements. Just make another layer of the gulls, place it on top of the original image, blur it with one of the filters in the program, then erase the areas (posts and the gulls) from this layer. Flatten the image, a voila, you've got a better bokeh.



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Thank, Alan. Hopefully I will have time tonight to do alittle pp. After I get back from taking more photos! [:)]

Denise

Great pics, Denise! I really like #6! I also like that you have a lower angle in shots 4-6 - that might have been something to try when composing shots like 1-3.

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Originally Posted by Ralph

Eerie duck eyes [img]/emoticons/emotion-2.gif[/img] LOL Are they really red? Sorry, I haven't seen that kind of ducks here on the other side of the globe.





Kidding aside, are these cropped? How far away are you from the ducks? Those are so close.
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There are steps at the marina that go right down to the water so I am anywhere from a foot to 20 ft. from the birds. Most were very close last night! A couple of these were cropped about an inch on the side opposite of the direction they are looking.

I have more to come that are maybe a little better than these.

Denise

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Originally Posted by neuroanatomist

Great pics, Denise! I really like #6! I also like that you have a lower angle in shots 4-6 - that might have been something to try when composing shots like 1-3.
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Hi John,


Yes, a lower angle is definitely a plus. I will go thru the rest tonight and see what others I have. I'm going back tonight and will try in slow it down and concentrate more on composition.

BTW, the 100-400mm is my lens of choice over the 300mm without a doubt!!


Denise

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Originally Posted by ddt0725

BTW, the 100-400mm is my lens of choice over the 300mm without a doubt!!

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Glad to hear that - I ordered my EF 100-400mm today. [:D]

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Originally Posted by ddt0725

BTW, the 100-400mm is my lens of choice over the 300mm without a doubt!

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In that case, It would make sense to sell your 300 f/4. You could have that $1200 for other, more useful gear. I personally prefer the 300 f/4 by a long shot but I am a minority in this.


brendan

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Originally Posted by bburns223

...prefer the 300 f/4 by a long shot...

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But, you can get a longer shot with the 100-400mm... [:P]


I'm looking forward to my newest lens - in looking over my shots with my EF 300mm f/4<span style="color: red;"]L IS, I find most are at ISOs in the 100-400 range, even in the early morning light. Based on that, I can afford the stop of aperture. I know you like the OOF blur and bokeh of the 300mm prime, but based on the math for a subject at the same distance, 400mm f/5.6 has a shallower DoF than 300mm f/4, and both lenses have an 8-bladed aperture...so, I'm expecting good things in that regard, in addition to the added flexibility of the zoom range.

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Originally Posted by bburns223

the bokeh just doesn't smear out those trees in the BG. This is one of the 100-400's biggest flaws and is partially why you might want to use your 300 f/4.

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My goose headshot photo above has great bokeh. The blue is the water but the brown is actually wood from the empty boat slip. So the other with the tree, may just be the way I focused, temps had dropped by then and I was shaking from cold and about to head home when I saw them. Plus pp will fix anything not blurred enough.

Sell the 300mm? Probably at some point down the line. I'll hang on to it for awhile and see. One beauiful sunny day out with the 100-400mm isn't enough for me to make that decision just yet. Never know ...maybe I'll get my daughter hooked on photography :)


Denise

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Originally Posted by neuroanatomist

I'm looking forward to my newest lens - in looking over my shots with my EF 300mm f/4<span style="color:red;"]L IS, I find most are at ISOs in the 100-400 range, even in the early morning light. Based on that, I can afford the stop of aperture. I know you like the OOF blur and bokeh of the 300mm prime, but based on the math for a subject at the same distance, 400mm f/5.6 has a shallower DoF than 300mm f/4, and both lenses have an 8-bladed aperture...so, I'm expecting good things in that regard, in addition to the added flexibility of the zoom range.

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technically, you're right. But otherwise not as much. The 100-400 (as I've heard from many people) has a problem with bokeh. Denise, that doesn't mean every shot will look like it was shot at f/170, but it is one of the lens's flaws.


brendan

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Originally Posted by bburns223

technically, you're right. But otherwise not as much.

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That's ok - that may be one good reason for Denise and I to have both of them in our kits... [:)]

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Originally Posted by bburns223

technically, you're right. But otherwise not as much. The 100-400 (as I've heard from many people) has a problem with bokeh. Denise, that doesn't mean every shot will look like it was shot at f/170, but it is one of the lens's flaws.



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Brendan, there really is no "flaw" when describing the 100-400, in the real sense of the word. It's just not as good as other lenses. But, it doesn't cost as much, considering it's got a good zoom range, and IS. If it was an f/4 100-400 IS, we'd all be worn out holding the thing.


I may not be able to run the 4 minute mile, but that's not a flaw...just a deficiency of my physique.

Well, we're talking L lenses here.....we can be picky! [6]


Anywho, seems like we're resurrecting that 100-400 vs 300 f/4 argument.....I have come to the conclusion that although they have comparable specs they are very different lenses. The 100-400 is meant to function as an all-around wildlife lens, while the 300 f/4 is meant to be used in complement of shorter and longer lenses. So really IMO comparing them in general is useless, every person has different needs. I plan to buy a 500mm f/4.5L (yes, f/4.5L) so the 300 f/4 made a lot of sense.


anywho, I will be traveling to Florida next week. Some AWESOME bird photography there this time of year [ip]


brendan

It may not be the best bokeh at 5.6 but it will give you decent separation. The versatility and sharpness make this a hard lens not to love.


7D 1/1250 ISO 200f/5.6 100-400 @370mm


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I think it's your new 7D [;)]


just kidding.

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Originally Posted by bburns223

Anywho, seems like we're resurrecting that 100-400 vs 300 f/4 argument.....I have come to the conclusion that although they have comparable specs they are very different lenses.

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Yeah - pretty much the same debate almost anytime one compares primes and zooms. I realize that I just ordered a zoom lens (100-400mm) where I already have three primes in that same range (100mm f/2.8L IS Macro, 200mm f/2.8 II and 300mm f/4L IS), and I'll likely add a 135mm f/2 in the foreseeable future. But, they are different lenses with different purposes. But of all those, the 300mm prime is the hardest for me to rationalize, as it's just one stop faster, it's not significantly smaller or lighter, and both have IS. But, the fact that I paid $725 for a pristine used copy makes it a bit more bearable. I guess I'll just shoot with each for a while, compare the images I get from them, and decide on the fate of my 300mm prime.


Have a great trip, Brendan!

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Originally Posted by bburns223

I think it's your new 7D

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Remember Brendan, it's not the gear that makes a great photo! [;)]

Just kidding.


Denise

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Originally Posted by Keith B

It may not be the best bokeh at 5.6 but it will give you decent separation. The versatility and sharpness make this a hard lens not to love.


7D 1/1250 ISO 200f/5.6 100-400 @370mm


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Your photo is AWESOME!! I hope this photo is framed on a wall and hung with pride (for photography and player)! I see a Green Bay Packer in the making! [:)]

Denise

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Originally Posted by ddt0725

I see a Green Bay Packer in the making!

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...once he learns to tuck that ball in close to his body, that is... [;)] But I agree - great photo, Keith!

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Originally Posted by ddt0725

Your photo is AWESOME!! I hope this photo is framed on a wall and hung with pride (for photography and player)! I see a Green Bay Packer in the making! [img]/emoticons/emotion-1.gif[/img]



Denise

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Thanks Denise and Neuro!


I shot this for the local paper so I don't really know the player. Hopefully his parents will buy a print from them.


The nice thing is now parents come up to me at the games and ask if they can buy shots of there kids from me.
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He definitely needs to tuck that ball though.

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Originally Posted by ddt0725

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Originally Posted by bburns223

I think it's your new 7D

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Remember Brendan, it's not the gear that makes a great photo! [img]/emoticons/emotion-5.gif[/img]

Just kidding.


Denise

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I just got pwned [um]

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Originally Posted by bburns223

I just got pwned [img]/emoticons/emotion-35.gif[/img]

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[:D]

I look forward to seeing your photos when you get back from Florida ...have a great time!

Denise

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Originally Posted by bburns223

anywho, I will be traveling to Florida next week. Some AWESOME bird photography there this time of year [img]/emoticons/emotion-59.gif[/img]


brendan

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Wheres abouts in FL?

Thanks Denise.


Keith, I'm going to Boca Raton (30mins of Miami), FL. It's fairly close to, well, everything. Except the St Augustine alligator farm.

I'm in Melbourne/Cocoa Beach area, smack dab in the middle of St. Aug and Boca.


I have friends in Ft Lauderdale I visit sometimes. I can't think of anything too noteworthy to photograph. The Jupiter Inlet has a light house.

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Originally Posted by Keith B

I'm in Melbourne/Cocoa Beach area, smack dab in the middle of St. Aug and Boca.


I have friends in Ft Lauderdale I visit sometimes. I can't think of anything too noteworthy to photograph. The Jupiter Inlet has a light house.

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Oh, there's plenty. I am primarily a bird photographer, and near Boca Raton within 30 minutes are like 2,000 (it feels like that) nature preserves, national parks, trails, and other places brimming with wildlife. [ip][ap][D][au][H]

It's kind of off topic already since I'm probably late[:P], but....nice pictures Denise!!!


I can see that this lens suites you very well! Looking forward to a lot more now. Love it when the weather gets better!





Also Keith, wow good shot of the footballplayer. Honestly I couldn't say by looking at the bokeh if it was shot with a 100-400 or a 300mm. It looks very good to me! It almost makes me want to get it too!![;)] I'm renting it tomorrow, so perhaps you'll see some pictures from me later this week [A]


Good luck shooting Denise (and others :) )


Jan

Hey Jan, have fun with the lens - can't wait to see some pics! My 100-400mm ships today and should be in my hands in a couple of days. [:D]

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Originally Posted by neuroanatomist

Hey Jan, have fun with the lens - can't wait to see some pics! My 100-400mm ships today and should be in my hands in a couple of days. [img]/emoticons/emotion-2.gif[/img]

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Thanks will do [:D] I'm really looking forward renting in a few hours. It would be my first rental. Tomorrow me and my brother will go to Rotterdam to try it out. Hopefully the weather will clear a bit. It's kinda rainy today.


If results are good enough to show, I will definitely do it! Promise [:D]