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Three Swallow Species ~ Up Close and Personal

Discussion in 'Birds' started by jfenton, May 20, 2007.

Page 1 of 2
  1. jfenton

    jfenton

    4,506
    Jan 26, 2005
    Haverhill, MA
    I was shooting the MA Audubon Bird A Thon this past weekend for the regional Joppa Flats facility...and just like every other year that I've done this the weather was horrible. Long underwear and gloves was the rule.

    I had intended to shoot a lot of warblers but their food source appeared to be high in the trees as that's where they were and as fast as warblers move, there was next to no light anyhow.

    Therefore.....I decided to take advantage of some very chilly, but well fed swallow groups at various times throughout the weekend.

    I also forced myself to use a flash / Better Beamer combination (typically I hate using a flash) and I finally sort of figured it out. It's a amazing what 1/4" more in height will do for not blowing eyes out!

    On top of this, I was shooting a replacement body that I'd never fired a shot with yet.

    All shots were acquired with a Nikon D2Xs, 500 AFSII lens and TC14EII Converter.....Nikon SB-800 with a Better Beamer mounted on a Wimberly flash bracket.

    Please offer your comments relative to the lighting....

    Tree Swallows......

    Cold at Dawn....

    original.
    NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/8.0    1/80s    ISO 320


    original.
    NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/8.0    1/80s    ISO 250


    Mid Morning....in the rain...

    original.
    NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/8.0    1/125s    ISO 250


    original.
    NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/7.1    1/250s    ISO 250


    Northern Rough Wing Swallows......

    Early Morning.....

    original.
    NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/8.0    1/90s    ISO 250


    Afternoon.....

    original.
    NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/9.0    1/80s    ISO 250


    Near darkness due to the weather.....

    original.
    NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/8.0    1/60s    ISO 250


    Barn Swallows in the AM.....

    original.
    NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/8.0    1/60s    ISO 500


    original.
    NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/8.0    1/80s    ISO 250


    original.
    NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/8.0    1/80s    ISO 250


    Later in the afternoon and evening.....

    original.

    original.
    NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/6.3    1/180s    ISO 800


    In the rain.......

    original.
    NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/7.1    1/60s    ISO 500
     
    jfenton, May 20, 2007
    #1
  2. alexf

    alexf

    20,439
    Dec 16, 2006
    Miami Beach, FL, USA
    Amazing work. I never saw a resting tree swallow. They fly so fast and so erratically that are very hard to catch. Only once I could get a semi-decent one in flight. Superb job!
     
    alexf, May 20, 2007
    #2
  3. hangin tree

    hangin tree

    8,564
    Sep 17, 2006
    Northern Alabama
    WOW, Fantastic, Stunning, About as good as it gets,


    All the Above!!!
     
    hangin tree, May 20, 2007
    #3
  4. james thiel

    james thiel

    8,823
    May 15, 2005
    Mill Creek, WA.
    Jim these are so good. You really made the flash look very natural.
     
    james thiel, May 20, 2007
    #4
  5. bobhoge

    bobhoge

    2,296
    Jan 26, 2005
    Ohio & Florida
    HI Jim,

    Like Alex, I don't think I have seen swallows perching. Great photos and super colors on them.

    Bob & Nan
     
    bobhoge, May 20, 2007
    #5
  6. woundedmallard

    woundedmallard

    2,747
    Jul 1, 2006
    Titusville, Florida
    Wow, is all I can say!
     
    woundedmallard, May 20, 2007
    #6
  7. Bob the Spiderman

    Bob the Spiderman

    1,524
    Feb 9, 2005
    Penryn Cornwall England
    I am amazed at these. Yet again your expertise shines through.

    I HATE flash catchlights in the eyes, especially multiple ones; and therefore find it amazing that so few of these pictures actually have a catchlight at all, especially with the equipment you list.

    BW. Bob F.
     
    Bob the Spiderman, May 21, 2007
    #7
  8. Gale

    Gale

    978
    Jan 26, 2005
    Viera Fl
    Fantastic images again Jim
    Good work.
     
    Gale, May 21, 2007
    #8
  9. Panos Kazanelis

    Panos Kazanelis

    4,657
    Feb 22, 2005
    Athens Greece
    :eek: 

    [when I get my breath back, I'll comment...]
     
    Panos Kazanelis, May 21, 2007
    #9
  10. GonzoBernelli

    GonzoBernelli

    5,098
    Nov 11, 2005
    Houston, TX
    13 Aces in that deck, Jim. You've mastered the BB, so what is next?
     
    GonzoBernelli, May 21, 2007
    #10
  11. Phil K

    Phil K Subscribing Member

    17,108
    Apr 30, 2005
    Hong Kong
    Wow!!!

    Stunning!!!!!!
     
    Phil K, May 21, 2007
    #11
  12. jfenton

    jfenton

    4,506
    Jan 26, 2005
    Haverhill, MA
    Flash and Catch lights

    One of the reason I hated using a flash / BB combination prior to this weekend was that I'd never get catchlights.....I'd simply get total eye blowout...even with the settings I used for these shots.

    What made the difference, was raising the flash higher. I use a Wimberly flash mount and I always just slid it on, pushed it down as far as it would go and that was that.

    I had a thought that perhaps raising it would make a difference, so I simply put it up as high as it would go....and all my problems were solved :) 
     
    jfenton, May 21, 2007
    #12
  13. mike mac

    mike mac

    12,409
    Jan 25, 2005
    East Norriton, PA
    Jim the bracket is the key just as PJ use brackets to get the flash higher it elimintaes animal/bird blue eye as I call it. Great friggin shots BTW
     
    mike mac, May 21, 2007
    #13
  14. Louis Champan

    Louis Champan

    18,042
    Jul 13, 2005
    Newcastle, Washington
    Jim, these are nothing short of amazing, excellent job on all of them. Swallows can give you so many different expressions, and you've captured them extremely well.

    Louie
     
    Louis Champan, May 21, 2007
    #14
  15. revdhd

    revdhd Subscribing Member

    4,503
    May 2, 2007
    Cincinnati
    Jim,

    These captures are simply stunning. If there is any problem with the lighting, I fail to discern it. Exposure is perfect, colors are full and crisp, images are sharp and backgrounds are beautifully rendered. It doesn't get any better than this. Caps and gloves aside, these are great images.

    God bless.
    Doug
     
    revdhd, May 21, 2007
    #15
  16. andreasb

    andreasb Subscribing Member

    7,607
    Feb 2, 2005
    Maple Bay, Duncan, BC, Canada
    Andreas Berglund
    Flat out fantastic Jim, I have tried for along time to get good swallow shots and you have excellent shots of three species, outstanding!!!
     
    andreasb, May 21, 2007
    #16
  17. Photobug207

    Photobug207

    1,033
    Jan 24, 2007
    Randallstown, Maryland
    Gorgeous!
    WOW!
    Super!

    ok, you get the idea...:biggrin:
     
    Photobug207, May 21, 2007
    #17
  18. Allan

    Allan Subscribing Member

    13,112
    Apr 21, 2006
    Nashua, NH
    I am not going against the flow. I think Jim's photos are excellent. Exposure, composition, sharpness - all are great as usual. I will go so far as to say Jim is a photo idol - I had better stop so as not to embarrass him.

    However, there is something artificial in these photos - they seem to have studio lighting. I can't put my finger on anything in particular. The lighting seems too eve or something? Does anyone else see this?

    BTW, that last one with the rain is tremendous.
     
    Allan, May 21, 2007
    #18
  19. Gale

    Gale

    978
    Jan 26, 2005
    Viera Fl
    Allan
    You need to shoot with Jim some time
    He will wait for the right shot of a bird for hours. He waits for the right conditions he wants.
    he is amazing
    Sometime to get the shot it will take a year. a month or maybe lucky and 5 minutes.
     
    Gale, May 21, 2007
    #19
  20. jfenton

    jfenton

    4,506
    Jan 26, 2005
    Haverhill, MA
    Hi Allan

    Obviously they don't look as though it was natural light......given that it was raining and crappy though it sure beats not being able to get them at all :) 
     
    jfenton, May 21, 2007
    #20
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