<< Previous Next >>

A Hairy Faerie


A Hairy Faerie
Photo Information
Copyright: Callie de Wet (Callie) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1252 W: 106 N: 2658] (7487)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-10-16
Categories: Birds
Camera: Nikon D70, Sigma 80-400 OS
Exposure: f/8, 1/60 seconds
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Ostriches [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2004-10-17 8:54
Viewed: 1209
Points: 14
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Could this be what the Faerie Queen looked like in Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” when poor Button was beguiled & turned into an equally hairy donkey? I love to mess with literature & some of its characters; I see so many of them in the animals around me. Yesterday’s spitting cheetah reminded me forcefully of my mother-in-law when we told her we are getting married. If only she was as good looking at the cat! I have already written enough on this big bird, as had Japie & Gerhard in recent posts. What I really have been trying to do for a long time now is to get a properly backlit ostrich mug-shot. These guys and dolls are always on the move & seldom keep that long neck still enough in one plane to nail the eye and get the halo affect around the head. It’s pecking & ducking & diving all the time. This picture shows a young female in the process of swallowing, hence the bulge below the chin. The bill is also not fully developed & a bit short. The eye is somewhat mesmerizing – they have the biggest orbs in relation to their head size of any living animal. Another honest bird, as Paul would say, not hiding her looks under coverage of glossy plumage!

SHOOTING DETAILS
Venue – De Wild Cheetah Centre – Hatbeespoort
Date 16th October 2004
Time 16h04
Camera - Nikon D70
ISO 200 & -0,3 EV
Sigma 80-400 F4.5- 5.6 APO OS
Filter – Cokin UV
Focal length - 400 mm
Exposure mode - Aperture Priority - 1/60 @ F8
Off camera i-TTL Balanced fill
Metering Mode – Muti Pattern
Support – Handheld
No cropping, levels; hue/ saturation; some USM, , reduced to Site size.
Luc, AndyB, PDP, extramundi, japie, RAP has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekNature members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekNature members may write critiques.
Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To RAP: WSCallie 1 10-18 13:45
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • AndyB Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1592 W: 32 N: 1361] (3978)
  • [2004-10-17 13:01]

A very nice capture.
Excellent detail of the eye with a nice catchlight there.
A great note too as always.
Excellent,well done.

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2964 W: 366 N: 3848] (11751)
  • [2004-10-17 13:14]

I like it Callie, good focus on the glinting eye. Excellent note, well done again!

A very hairy Faerie Callie, well captured image as always.

Callie, this one looks a just bit soft to me, but considering that you where at the end of your objetive focal length and the size of the image, I imagine you were quite far.
The potrait is very expresive. Thanks for sharing.

  • Great 
  • japie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1814 W: 100 N: 1904] (5187)
  • [2004-10-17 16:37]

Was your mother in law's teeth that white as well? I have yet to get a nice portrait of an ostrich and looking at yours makes me hope that it is going to be soon.

The image is very sharp and the lighting/exposure excellent.

Thanks for posting

Very nice Callie.
I like this hairy thing, good colours and good details.
Great note like usual.
Well done.

Una excelente imagen... tal vez no es la mejor de tu cosecha, pero tiene grandes valores... y sin embargo, mira las críticas que ha recibido, es lamentable lo que sucede algunos dias en TN.
Bonito primer plano de esta simpatica ave con muy buen DOF y aceptable agudeza.
Realicé un nuevo workshop (ultimamente los estoy haciendo de tus fotos) donde modifico algo el balance de color y de Unsharp... espero te agrade.

An excellent image... Perhaps is not the best one of your harvest, but it has great values... and nevertheless, it watches the critics that have received, it is lamentable what some days in TN happen.
Pretty close up of this likeable bird with very good DOF and acceptable sharpness.
I made new workshop (last I am doing them of your photos) where I modify something the color balance and Unsharp... I hope pleases to you.

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF