RedRobin shoots a Blue Tit diver....

[RedRobin]

Blue Tit glider_1694v1 by RedRobin_05, on Flickr

^ Canon 70D, 400mm f5.6L, ISO 800, f6.3, 0 EV, 1/2500, handheld.

Shot this afternoon on a walkabout at home. Probably my favourite capture of the day but I realise it should ideally be sharper. And would have been better lit on the face if the Tit had been diving from right to left instead but these things can't always be arranged.

All comments welcome.

 

[Big Andy]

As to the tech aspects of the shot you already seem to know the problems yourself but on the other hand as a good fun shot with no staging and a bit different I think it's a beauty.

 

[artyman]

I want to be a Peregrine Falcon when I grow up

 

[RedRobin]

I want to be a Peregrine Falcon when I grow up

.... So does that young Blue Tit wanna be a Peregrine!

He launched from being hanging upside down - That's how I managed to anticipate the shot but I was in SINGLE SHOT, not AI SERVO and it all happened very quickly. I've got a shot of the bird hanging but I don't know if it's good enough to post.

 

[gramps]

Somebody catch him quick! Love it.

 

[Judi]

It's lovely, Robin cracking fun shot

 

[Steve Hatch]

I'm sorry Robin but I just don't get it! The twigs are sharper than the bird, the bird is dominated by the trees, the bird is too dark, OOF and the pose isn't good as the wings are still closed. Not sure where you are today in the Southwest as that's where I am but it's been raining all day here And no chance of a sky that colour.

 

[Steve Hatch]

Sorry just realised it wasn't shot today

 

[RedRobin]

I'm sorry Robin but I just don't get it! The twigs are sharper than the bird, the bird is dominated by the trees, the bird is too dark, OOF and the pose isn't good as the wings are still closed. Not sure where you are today in the Southwest as that's where I am but it's been raining all day here And no chance of a sky that colour.

....Yes, I was focussed on the twigs and hanging seed cones because the bird was hanging there before he suddenly took off and I went for the shot.

At the risk of sounding defensive, the wings being closed and the legs dropped down are the components which make the picture good, in my opinion - He is diving down to the lower bunch of seed cones and only using his wings when braking to land (which I also got a shot of but it's too messy). Whatever I have failed in technically I have most definitely succeeded in capturing the action and regardless of it being ultra sharp etc, it's an image which a great number of people like (I've lost count of how many and I even had someone approach me in the street and tell me the other day - It's posted in several other bird photography related places on the hyperinterwebbynet).

I totally agree that it would have been better sharper and the head better lit from him diving in the opposite direction < As I wrote in my OP.

What can I say? This isn't posted as a posed bird but rather as a dynamic moment in the life of a Blue Tit. I hope to do much better technically one day but I do feel very encouraged by this shot.

Sorry just realised it wasn't shot today

....It was shot on the same day as my infamous Blackbird and also the Chaffinch in the same Alder tree.

 

[minnnt]

You could always lighten the face in Photoshop.

It's a great shot Robin, you did a good job to get it that in focus tbh, i'd have hesitated too much and either missed him or blurred him, even at that shutter speed!

 

[RedRobin]

You could always lighten the face in Photoshop.

It's a great shot Robin, you did a good job to get it that in focus tbh, i'd have hesitated too much and either missed him or blurred him, even at that shutter speed!

....Ah! I did a bit in Aperture but not in Photoshop. Good idea!

I'll have to take care in lightening the face that I don't destroy the overall 3D modelling of the bird because I think the lighting variation on him is what increases the feeling of being bullet-like.

Jeee, I have a lot of photographic homework to do and I took some more bird shots today as well to upload - Nothing special but all part of my learning curve and even one which might be described as a bird-on-a-stick, teehee

Thanks for the encouragement.

 

[minnnt]

You're welcome mate. Just dodge the bird with it set to shadows on around 50% and see what it looks like.

You could even select the bird and make a mask, lighten it but darken the background... May work?

 

[Steve Hatch]

Hi Robin, I really am not trying to put you down or off your photography and if you think it's good enough and really think all the good shot comments are helping you then that's fine, but for me if I am using equipment to the value of what you are I would expect far more. I think you are shooting in situations that are never going to give you good results and could do equally as good with a point and shoot. No amount of processing will change the facts!
I was the same taking shots that really were not worth taking and I started getting frustrated which made me think a little before being trigger happy and whilst I agree if it's a new or rare bird I will take a shot just for a record but common garden birds that are abundant I will try to get something that is at the very least sharp

 

[RedRobin]

Hi Robin, I really am not trying to put you down or off your photography and if you think it's good enough and really think all the good shot comments are helping you then that's fine, but for me if I am using equipment to the value of what you are I would expect far more. I think you are shooting in situations that are never going to give you good results and could do equally as good with a point and shoot. No amount of processing will change the facts!

I was the same taking shots that really were not worth taking and I started getting frustrated which made me think a little before being trigger happy and whilst I agree if it's a new or rare bird I will take a shot just for a record but common garden birds that are abundant I will try to get something that is at the very least sharp

....No problem, Steve, I don't interpret your comments as being anything other than honest critique/feedback which intends only to be helpful

I have used a FinePix F500EXR point-and-shoot for the last few years and wore it out! I replaced it with a Sony RX100 II when I bought my Canon DSLR 70D. No PnS camera has the reach of my DSLR lenses unless you count digital zoom which we all know is crap.

I have a lot to learn and both criticisms and praise are helping me progress. I think it's a matter of improving both in camera and in post-processing. I'm just following what feels natural to me and after borrowing my daughter's Canon 100D I just knew I had to go DSLR.

I have had my 70D since December and until today I have been using my index finger on the shutter instead of my middle finger!! Duh! Robin, duh! No wonder I wasn't managing to switch ISO and Drive quickly on the fly.

 

[LCPete]

I like it a fun shot
It is a shame the bird isn't in focus though

 

[u8myufo]

I can understand this being a marmite shot, and considering it was a grab shot it`s not too bad. I do like the fact it has something in the foreground as well as background, giving it an almost 3D look. Ok the subject is not close up and showing loads of detail, but without being close enough or fast enough with more of a wide angle lens on then you are not going to get that anyway. No the bird has not got it`s wings open but the image does depict`s what a bird naturaly does imho. A rough edit for what it`s worth.

 

[RedRobin]

I like it a fun shot

It is a shame the bird isn't in focus though

....Glad you like it

Definitely a shame the bird isn't in sharp focus but perhaps that adds to the feeling of fast movement? - I'm not making excuses though! I think that if I had switched to AI SERVO the autofocus on my Canon 70D might have got it sharper.

So, what have I learnt from this? - To recognise when to switch to AI SERVO quickly. I was in ONE SHOT mode to avoid autofocus hunting confusedly through all the branches as the birds flitted through the trees.

 

[RedRobin]

... I do like the fact it has something in the foreground as well as background, giving it an almost 3D look.

....Do you think that if I applied some Noiseware to the background it would further increase a 3D 'pop out' look? I didn't have Noiseware when I processed this shot and the noise isn't shouting very 'loud' fortunately. The background is of course incidental and I was lucky that it was relatively pretty and its distance adds to the spacial atmosphere.

Ok the subject is not close up and showing loads of detail, but without being close enough or fast enough with more of a wide angle lens on then you are not going to get that anyway.

....The image is a crop of approx 40% of the whole original, shot on a 400mm prime lens. I have three Canon L lenses and the shortest is 70mm. All bought from TP Classifieds btw. I was on walkabout at home with just the 400mm.

No the bird has not got it`s wings open but the image does depict`s what a bird naturaly does imho.

A rough edit for what it`s worth.

....Depicting what birds and animals/insects do naturally is exactly what I personally aim for. As I'm sure we all know, birds use their wings as little as possible so that they can preserve more of their precious energy fuelled by eating. So, that Blue Tit was getting from point A to point B (more food) as efficiently as possible and hence the dive with wings closed until needed for brakes! Wing beats in short bursts is the natural flight pattern for most Tits anyway.

Unfortunately, at the moment your "rough edit" isn't loading.

As always, thanks for your valuable comments, Rich - They are always well considered, balanced and helpful.

 

[u8myufo]

Mmm! Thats odd thern, I have renamed the image and uploaded again.

 

[Nod]

IMO, the shot does exactly what Robin was aiming for - it shows the Tit in free-fall, conserving as much energy as possible. No, it's not perfectly lit but I'm pretty sure he didn't have control of the lighting any more than he could adjust the critter's pose! Looking at the largest size available on Flickr, you can see that the bird is pretty sharp - certainly sharp enough for a grab shot! Is it a bit noisy? Well, it's not noise free but compared to an ISO800 shot on film, it's pretty damn good! The image could possibly be messed about with in PS/LR but IMO it doesn't really need it - it is what it is, a Tit snatched in mid drop.

 

[RedRobin]

Mmm! Thats odd thern, I have renamed the image and uploaded again.

....That's a massive improvement on the bird and I would love to learn how you achieved that!

I appreciate that it's what you have called "a rough edit" and I really appreciate the time you have given to it, no matter how small

But, regarding the image as a whole, I feel that some 'bite' has been lost (contrast?) and that the background foliage has suffered a fraction. It would be unreasonable of me to appear ungrateful because of my criticism of your edit, so I trust you accept the honesty of my comment.

So, what did you do on the bird, please, Rich?

 

[RedRobin]

IMO, the shot does exactly what Robin was aiming for - it shows the Tit in free-fall, conserving as much energy as possible. No, it's not perfectly lit but I'm pretty sure he didn't have control of the lighting any more than he could adjust the critter's pose! Looking at the largest size available on Flickr, you can see that the bird is pretty sharp - certainly sharp enough for a grab shot! Is it a bit noisy? Well, it's not noise free but compared to an ISO800 shot on film, it's pretty damn good! The image could possibly be messed about with in PS/LR but IMO it doesn't really need it - it is what it is, a Tit snatched in mid drop.

....Yep, you got it all in one! However, it doesn't mean that some judicious post editing can't enhance it further - I'm willing to give it a go and can always fall back on the picture I originally posted as being satisfactory - Not excellent but satisfying. Surely over 100 Likes and many positive comments across facebook including bird photography groups can't all be wrong - It's not the best 'poll' but it does show that my shot is an evocative image.

The arena here (TP = Togger's Pit?), aka The Birder's Dragons Den, of course is far more critical and consequently more improvement can be learnt from it.

Would it be inappropriate of me to say that you've got to snatch those tits while you can before they drop?

 

[den]

The edit overhaul Robin is a big improvement ,in my opinion its a bit more dynamic, but I fully understand your points on the foliage.

 

[RedRobin]

The edit overhaul Robin is a big improvement ,in my opinion its a bit more dynamic, but I fully understand your points on the foliage.

....I generally agree now that I have digested the image a bit more. I'm guessing that Rich may have applied some de-noise which had effected the background foliage and if I have a go (now I have Noiseware) and go gently on it, it may just get there.

 

[u8myufo]

I appreciate your comments Robin. I did run it through the dreaded Noise reduction, and the rest was just levels,curve adjustment, brightness and contrast with a slight sharpen again at the end. I can see that the foilage in the Bg has changed a bit, but considering it is oof with very little detail I do not think it is too much of a losss. I could have selected the bird seperately and brightened it up but that would have made it look pretty odd. When I ever do an edit Robin, it is not me telling people how it should be but it is more to evoke peoples thoughts on whether it works or not as an alternative, those thoughts can be good or bad.

 

[RedRobin]

I appreciate your comments Robin. I did run it through the dreaded Noise reduction, and the rest was just levels,curve adjustment, brightness and contrast with a slight sharpen again at the end. I can see that the foilage in the Bg has changed a bit, but considering it is oof with very little detail I do not think it is too much of a losss. I could have selected the bird seperately and brightened it up but that would have made it look pretty odd.

....Valuable info for me to try Whether I can do as well is a different matter but nothing ventured nothing gained.

Yes, working on the bird separately could certainly result in a rather looking fake cutout.

When I ever do an edit Robin, it is not me telling people how it should be but it is more to evoke peoples thoughts on whether it works or not as an alternative, those thoughts can be good or bad.

....Certainly in this case those thoughts are good! And much appreciated Cheers!