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She's coming! She's coming!


She's coming! She's coming!
Photo Information
Copyright: Francine Malo (NinaM) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 655 W: 0 N: 1623] (5300)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2002-02-09
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 40 D, Canon 100 f2.8 Macro
Exposure: f/2.8, 1/6400 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-02-11 8:54
Viewed: 534
Points: 28
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This is a long-story picture of the common redpolls you see in this image. I didn't know if I should post it on TN but Love said he really liked it. He likes the bird with its translucent wings opened and the fact that they are flying on. So here it is and let me tell you that I still haven't the talent to get close to birds without "frightening" them. No matter how long, how slow, how tiniest as possible I am, as soon as I get close enough to get their picture, pffffuit! The effect I have on such wonderful creatures is shown very well on the post.

It's as if they had a secret code shared within the aviary community when I show up my frozen nose.

Yes, I know, I shot them with a 100mm. lens, it's understandable in that case. I approached the feeders very slowly, with my finger on the shutter release, knowing the effect I have upon the birds, and there I fired! 6.5 frames per second, I got this shot and another one where you can see a bird in flight far in the frame... 2 out of all the firing session! They are really fast and very well organized to take flight if a predator shows up.

One has to have the predator's patience of a cat to be able to get close to them without frightening them, patient enough for them to believe you are part of the environment. My cat Charlotte brought back a common redpoll in the house this week-end. She is 10 years-old, never goes out in winter, almost, and for the one time she did, zapped a poor tiny bird and brought it to me. It's almost as if life was laughing at me and I had to take the poor bird out in the snow.

The other part of the story of this picture is the playing with curves in Photoshop Elements. I knew I didn't have time to go on the other side of the feeders because the snow is too deep and also because of the carefulness of these little birds. It is a backlit scene and the result was really dark, having only silhouettes of the birds against a highlighted background.

I am kind of proud to have come out with this result. I hate the sight of the feeder in the picture but the birds flying away are such a wonderful sight. I wish Howard (Marhowie) was here with his tremendous talent to show me how he's working those inflight pictures out! It'll come, my friends, the time will come where I will show you a nice picture of a backyard bird in flight... hope so!

Meanwhile I bow my head to all those talented and skilled birds photographers of this site. Every day, I open up TN site and cannot believe all those pictures, fantastic one after the other one, from all over the world. I am learning every day with all of you and my sight, when I look at a picture, has changed tremendously. Not only do I have the pleasure to look at beauty but I also have the privilege to start seeing the skill, the patience, the mastering of the camera behing all those wonderful shots of yours. Thanks to you all to help sharpen my vision as well as help me learn.

Francine

shot in raw, cropped and resized for TN
Converted in jpeg
ISO 320
WB Auto
Average metering and autofocus on AI Servo
eqshannon, nglen, CeltickRanger, wahclella, Ena has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1427 W: 128 N: 5252] (23221)
  • [2008-02-11 9:02]

Bonjour Francine, vraiment très intéressante cette photo, j'aime bien la position des ailes et le mouvement des formes, bien vu! Merci,

Mario

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1305 W: 0 N: 5107] (15234)
  • [2008-02-11 9:12]

Hi Francine

Lovely action shot - good frozcn action and exposure.

TFS

James

Bonjour Francine,
Lovely and beautiful composition indeed!
well capured of the birds in motion with good clarity, colour and details
well done
merci
tony

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1812 W: 29 N: 5246] (17188)
  • [2008-02-11 10:00]

Hi Francine,
Wonderful shot and I like the motion in the image. Very subtle and you have freezed the action perfectly. Bird feeders are such busy places. Good light management and very nicely composed. kudos.
TFS.
Sumon

Fast shutter trigger! Caught the moment perfectly as they are on the move...Skittish little things but looks like you had no problems...6.5 FPS that's quite the speedy camera..Sounds like it would be good for sports journalism...very nice Francine..
Bob

Hello Francine
Love was right..Its to good a pic to leave to go dusty on the hard drive!!
I have been thinking about doing a similar sort of shot when I get the light in my garden..which will come as the sun climbs higher in the sky/
My thoughts on how to achieve this shot are to do as you have done..the fastest lense in the kit..But then a tripod set up and a long release cable..perhaps a couple more stops on the aperture which should still give a very good shutter speed and bring more of the birds wings into sharp focus.
Any Way Francine..you have achieved much more than I ever have in this wonderful picture showing just how graceful birds are in flight.
Dont you just love the learning process..Its so much fun!!
My best Regards
Paul

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2130 W: 9 N: 5960] (22528)
  • [2008-02-11 11:33]

Hi Francine.have just started to try in flight shot of the birds not as easy as it looks. i to lke the one on the right. well done TFS.
nick..

  • Great 
  • lizzie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 214 W: 0 N: 635] (2847)
  • [2008-02-11 16:36]

Bonjour Francine,

Tu t'es vraiment mise au défi, une photo en plein vol et d'un si petit oiseau...pas facile du tout. Il faut de la vitesse, de la patience, un doigt rapide et parfois la chance se met de notre côté! Après avoir lu tes notes, tu peux te féliciter d'avoir fait ressortir ces sizerins avec cet éclairage qui venait de derrière et avec une lentille 100mm c'est une excellente image que tu nous présentes. Bravo!

Lise.

  • Great 
  • demeve Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 515 W: 8 N: 1135] (4182)
  • [2008-02-11 16:47]

Hello Francine,
I'm sorry my friend today I don't have much
time, so I'm justing marking today..
But I'll be back tomorrow..

Everton

bonjour Francine

d'abord bravo et merci pour cet excellent et long
(comme les autres d'ailleurs) Photographer's Note

ah l'approche pour réussir une photo d'un oiseau craintif,
voici ce que nous pouvons lire dans un forum animalier
français (de France) : « Rien ne sert d'avoir une longue focale ........
il suffit de s'approcher ! Allez dire ça aux zanimaux vous »

ce petit texte que je trouve amusant est la signature
d'un membre de ce forum animalier

venons à ta photo que j'aime beaucoup et AYOYE je ne pensais
jamais que l'on pouvait « shooter » jusqu'à 1/6400 de secondes,
photo « sur le vif » avec la fuite de ces petits oiseaux,
une photographie d'ambiance, TFS

Asbed

Hello Francine,
Try sitting down outside near the feeder without food in it and holding out your hand with feed in it. the birds will probably negin to trust you as they will make the adjustment due hunger over trust. If you are patient, so they will come.
I do like the "Escape of the Birds..."
Steve

  • Great 
  • Ena Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 359 W: 61 N: 570] (2343)
  • [2008-02-12 1:40]

Hi Francine,
Interesting shot!
Nice compo!
TFS
Ena

Sensacional captura Nima, con una composición y formas fuera de los común. Has recreado de manera interesante el mundillo de esas aves creando unos bonitos efectos, sobre todo por el contraluz.
Abrazo.

Bonjour Francine,
En effet, superbe envollée des ces sizerins aux ailes ouvertes.
Bravo
Marie

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