Official Photography Thread

[PaloAltoCougar]

It's Fleet Week in SF and filsdepac hosted a nice soiree atop his building yesterday, having invited the missus and me to chaperone.... The air show was stunning, including the Blue Angels flying all around and even right over us. This was Mrs. PAC's first attempt at shooting fast-moving objects, and it doesn't get much faster than this.


I wish the photo below came with audio, as the roar was deafening. The framing isn't great, but given the conditions, I thought she did very well.

[swampfrog]

It's Fleet Week in SF and filsdepac hosted a nice soiree atop his building yesterday, having invited the missus and me to chaperone.... The air show was stunning, including the Blue Angels flying all around and even right over us. This was Mrs. PAC's first attempt at shooting fast-moving objects, and it doesn't get much faster than this.

I wish the photo below came with audio, as the roar was deafening. The framing isn't great, but given the conditions, I thought she did very well.

What settings did she use to stop the action? I've never shot planes that close before.

Here's another recent bird image:
IMG_8828-Edit.jpg

[PaloAltoCougar]

What settings did she use to stop the action? I've never shot planes that close before.

400 ISO with a 1/2000 shutter speed. She was using a 70-200 2.8 lens set to shutter priority. She's still something of a newb but is enjoying the new hobby.

[wuapinmon]

What settings did she use to stop the action? I've never shot planes that close before.

Here's another recent bird image:
[ATTACH]4997[/ATTACH]

I believe that's a Lesser Yellowlegs.

[swampfrog]

I believe that's a Lesser Yellowlegs.

Beak is too long, Long-Billed Dowitcher I believe. Should have posted a link, the server software compressed (softened) it I think.

[dabrockster]

Recent Kayaking trip with my Son in Southern Ohio..

iPhone Photos 012.jpg
iPhone Photos 013.jpg

[smokymountainrain]

Beak is too long, Long-Billed Dowitcher I believe. Should have posted a link, the server software compressed (softened) it I think.

Google tells me this is correct.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

Beak is too long, Long-Billed Dowitcher I believe. Should have posted a link, the server software compressed (softened) it I think.

As the board biologist, I can verify that this is indeed a LBDO. Nice shot. I'll have to upload a few wildlife shots of my own.

[wuapinmon]

Beak is too long, Long-Billed Dowitcher I believe. Should have posted a link, the server software compressed (softened) it I think.

Shorebirds kill me. Unless they're avocets or turnstones, I got nothing but wrong IDs unless I can get a photo. Then I usually put it on www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbird and we try and figure it out. I don't have a zoom lens, so I'm getting nothing like you do.

Awesome stuff.

[swampfrog]

Shorebirds kill me. Unless they're avocets or turnstones, I got nothing but wrong IDs unless I can get a photo. Then I usually put it on www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbird and we try and figure it out. I don't have a zoom lens, so I'm getting nothing like you do.

Awesome stuff.

I'm just starting with bird photography (actually mostly still a beginner in all aspects of photography). While most photographic pursuits don't require a spending a relatively small fortune to get results similar to pros, some do. Nature and Action (sports) are 2 that have similar requirements, long reach, fast autofocus, subject tracking. I'm really coveting the new Canon 7D Mark II coming out later this year. Then if I ever wanted to get really serious I'd have to invest > $6K for a longer lens. I have the 70-200mm with 1.4 and 2.0 extenders, but could really use 800mm at times. Autofocus is really spotty with the 2.0 extender installed, but that's the 50D camera body.


From a couple days ago.

[swampfrog]

Previous picture was a bad edit, this still isn't perfect but better:

IMG_0605-Edit-2.jpg

And another one:

IMG_3754-Edit.jpg

[Katy Lied]

It might be my computer monitor, but the first one looks much better than the second one to me.

Also, you're taking these with just a 200mm with a 2.0 extender? That's it? From the quality of your photos, I thought you had much more expensive glass.

[wuapinmon]

Have yall seen this video? My son loves it.

[swampfrog]

It might be my computer monitor, but the first one looks much better than the second one to me.

Also, you're taking these with just a 200mm with a 2.0 extender? That's it? From the quality of your photos, I thought you had much more expensive glass.

It's not "just a 200mm" , while the 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM II is not in the price range of the 400mm 2.8/4.0 and above primes, it's not cheap either. Since it's 2.8 and very sharp, it takes the 2x extender very well. Many have claimed it's the equivalent of the 400mm 5.6 prime, though the combination focuses much slower than the prime. My biggest weakness is the camera body. I'm drooling over the 7D mark II, but that's not likely to happen.

First shot:

Canon 50D, 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM II + 2.0x @380mm, ISO 200, 1/1000, f/7.1

2nd shot:

ISO 200, 1/400, f/8.0

With the processing of the one image that I reposted, the 1st round of processing was a result of playing in LR and I had the clarity, saturation, and vibrance way over the top. The original scene did not have anywhere near that richness of color. I like the look of it, but it's not anywhere close to natural and I got called on it in another forum. It was a little too bright that day anyway, the resulting lighting is just a bit on the harsh side.

[swampfrog]

Have yall seen this video? My son loves it.

I had not watched it before, very entertaining. I have watched them hunt in the ocean, streams, fields, etc. Amazingly successful hunters, and watching them swallow large prey can be astonishing. I don't have video on my camera, but I have a snake hunting series here:

https://plus.google.com/photos/10663...46762567552945

and fishing in Puget sound here:

https://plus.google.com/photos/10663...86470852412881