Red Kites in flight

Les McLean

Les McLean

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Name
Les
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From the Harewood Estates, Yorkshire

Canon 7D + 300 F2.8L lens

All at 1/1000sec F2.8, auto-ISO

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Very nice especially the backlit #1 :)

I would welcome seeing the fuller EXIF for them i.e. what ISO was 'picked' and whether for example in the case of the #1 whether and how much +EC you dialed in to avoid the silhouette & with which metering mode? Oh, are these crops if so by approx how much?

I recently got the 7D (upgraded from the 40D) and always take RAW, I have found the images more challenging to PP as there is noticable noise even at low ISO but as posted in the section a short while they do yield well even at ISO 3200. So more work on my part to improve the PP.........................what do you do to get the quality you have shown above?

Incidently I see the new v2 firmware due in August will allow for greater control over Auto ISO and I see that as good thing :)

PS Whenever I see pictures using the 300 f2.8 they illustrate just what a superb lens that is!
 
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Box Brownie said:
Very nice especially the backlit #1 :)

I would welcome seeing the fuller EXIF for them i.e. what ISO was 'picked' and whether for example in the case of the #1 whether and how much +EC you dialed in to avoid the silhouette & with which metering mode?

The highest ISO for this group of shots is ISO800, unfortunately with auto ISO you can't dial in EC, so what I tend to do is switch metering modes to suit (evaluative, spot etc)

I recently got the 7D (upgraded from the 40D) and always take RAW, I have found the images more challenging to PP as there is noticable noise even at low ISO but as posted in the section a short while they do yield well even at ISO 3200. So more work on my part to improve the PP.........................what do you do to get the quality you have shown above?
I think one of the ways to keep noise under control is to 'nail' the exposure, but that applies to most cameras not just the 7D, I was looking at a mates images from a 5D MKIII the other day, on a couple of images , the exposure was way out, there was a lot of noise in the shadows, even at a relatively low ISO (400).
On high ISO images, I tend to selectively use noise reduction, like on some of the above , I used quick mask in PS to isolate the kite and used NR on everything but the kite.

Incidently I see the new v2 firmware due in August will allow for greater control over Auto ISO and I see that as good thing :)
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Hope this answers your question ?, and yes, the firmware upgrade looks attractive, also with the increased burst rate (y)
 
Nice set Les - I just love No3, you nailed that one :clap:

No reds in my area- I would have to drive over to Wales and no one wants to do that lol........................................its a joke guys so no hate mail please...

Les (y)
 
Fantastic shots... I am so jelous. I have tried capturing birds in flight for nearly 4 months and fail terribly compared to all of these.

Well done!
 
Hi Les

Many thanks for the insight :)

I had forgotten the Auto ISO 'lacks' EC adjustments. My default metering mode is Centre Weighted but havd found that since my 350D that Canon seems to, whatever mode, underexpose this in the case of the 350D and 40D needs +1/3 EC and the 7D appears to be +2/3 EC to get the histogram more centred/to the right hand side.

And as you say to 'nail' the exposure is the way to go so was #1 Spot Metering by any chance?...............Av for many years is what I have relied on............so may be time to revisit Manual???
 
Box Brownie said:
Hi Les

Many thanks for the insight :)

And as you say to 'nail' the exposure is the way to go so was #1 Spot Metering by any chance
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No, it was evaluative, the light, although relatively low (white clouds), because the back feathers of the kites are quite reflective, I try and wait until the kite turns so that his/her back is in the light before pressing the shutter, doesn't always work, and end up pressing the delete key more than usual. I did consider spot/centre weighted metering, but because I tried (and failed in this instance) to retain some sky detail I thought evaluative would be the best bet. Luckily there was a bit of foliage in the shot which helped provide a backdrop in the absence of sky.

And using spot metering in BIF shooting is a risky business as the centre metering spot is quite small.
 
2&3 stand out for me Lez just because they have a little more of the "looking at the camera" about them. Feather detail on the wing backs is superb on all of them and a very tidy set :clap:
 
A great set (y) i would be hard pressed to choose ;) so im not going to.
Regards
Richard
 
Tonks4x4 said:
Fantastic shots... I am so jelous. I have tried capturing birds in flight for nearly 4 months and fail terribly compared to all of these.

Well done!
Click to expand...

Brian, one of the problems for relatively newcomers to shooting birds, for whatever reason there are a number of excellent bird photographers that post on TP (I don't include myself in this exceptional bunch), consequently the bar is very high, and can look daunting and possibly unachievable to the inexperienced, on the other hand, by looking (and I mean really looking) at the top quality images, and the processes behind capturing the images (equipment, technique etc) can only help the development of anyone aspiring to this genre of photography. I know it has helped me such a lot, particularly as my main photography interest is not birds but landscapes.
 
That is a very good set of shots Les :clap: and my pick of the bunch would have to be #3.
 
I may aswell give up on our local kites now, these are just superb. Beautifully done Les.
 
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