New Hampshire Loons Friday PM / Saturday AM

[jfenton]

We're up in NH for the holiday weekend and my knees are getting sorre from kneeling in the bottom of the boat shooting loons...but they sure are beautiful creatures!

Let me qualify these shots by stating that I've quickly pprocessed these on my father in laws new laptop...it's not calibrated and I've never used a laptop to process shots with, so let me know if they don't look so swell?

A few from last evening.....

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And from this morning.....

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[Gale]

Beautiful images jim.

Look very dark here. You may want to have another look on your machine when you get home.

I really wish I was in NH toooo :<(((((

 

[jfenton]

Hi Gale

It figures...they looked TOOOOOO bright here so I toned them down a bit.
Can you say "MURPHYS LAW"?????

 

[Gale]

Good old Murphy.

Did ya have to take him with ya.

Thought it was his turn to stay home :>))))))

 

[greyflash]

I have never seen more beautiful loons Jim. Some of them could use a little brightening up but they are fine in any event.

 

[Gordon Large]

Jim -
Wonderful images, every one! I assume you were shooting handheld? Why on your knees then? What lens?
Gordon

 

[jfenton]

Gordon...

These were all shot at either 500 or 700mm.....I assure you that I was locked solid on my Gitzo tripod (Legs were collapsed as short as they would go)

I was on my knees on the flooor of my aluminum bass boat because if you stay low, these birds will actuallly come so close that they get TOO CLOSE at times, but I'd rather have them as close as possible.

If I sat up in the pedestal chairs, they tend to swim or fly away...even if I'm wearing a hat and they can't see that I didn't comb my hair at 4:00AM when I got up this morning!

 

[Gordon Large]

Jim -

If I ever tried that and didn't have thick kneepads, I would never walk again! OK, your bass boat still rocks slightly no matter how still the water is. You must be using pretty high shutter speeds. What is your typical shutter / aperture / ISO setting?

Gordon

 

[jfenton]

ISO / Shutter Speed

I shot at anywhere from 320 to 500 and most typically at 400.

My shutter speeeds run anywhere from 1/400 to 1/2000...alll depending on which direction my subject is relative to the sun / shade and how mucg EV compensation I'm applying.

Most of these shots were -EV...some as low as -2.3

NR is st to OFF.

With no TC I'lll shoot in the f6.3 to 9 range....with a TC14E11 I won't shoot below 7.1 and I use 8 as a standard.

All of these shots were AF-S, single area.

 

[Gordon Large]

Thanks Jim. Good info.
Gordon

 

[Flew]

Jim,

The shots look great, but as already said, they look a little dark. They also look like they could use a little mid-range boost. In spite of that though, they are wonderful shots. I'm amazed that you can get such sharpness in a boat, especially at the focal length that you were using.

Not bad for someone that talks funny. :wink:

 

[dmwphoto]

Jim
these are great and the ones eating the small perch are particularly good.
Dave

 

[drueter]

Wonderful series, Jim!

 

[Keith]

Incredible shots, luv them all, the green in the neck, you did awesome buddy!!

 

[bfjr]

What great looking birds
thanks for posting and the info helps too :smile:

 

[james thiel]

Jim these are sooooo good. I love looking at your loons as we do not see them much around here. Looks like you are having a great weekend so far.