Boxing Helena

[Phoenix_Jackson]

Smaller birds are irritatingly tough to follow through the lens. I'm on a personal assignment with a particular scene but with the rain, I just had to use the camera for something. These little ones keep mocking me so I just took a shot of one to answer their calls. Apparently, even with 3 seconds of perching, they still move a lot.

There's a point where I know I need to crop but no matter how I resize or relocate the frame, I can't find the best way to do it. I'd like to keep this shot since it's the only one I find likeable in the entire session. It's just the cropping I'm having trouble with... or to even crop at all. Biggest issue is that empty space I think. But this is the best I could do:



If there's any way I could do better, please say so. I like the original a bit more but it doesn't show much of the bird. Or am I wrong?
Original Image link.

I could also use some hints on this field. Especially coping up with exposure, metering, and focus with these fast moving creatures under super contrasts.

Camera Model: Canon EOS 60D

Lens: Canon 55-250mm

Flash Used: No

Focal Length: 250.0mm (35mm equivalent: 392...

Exposure Time: 0.025 s (1/40)

Aperture: f/14.0

ISO Equiv.: 100

Exposure Bias: -0.67

Whitebalance: Manual

Spot Metering, No Tripod, Manual Focus.

Thank you very much for your time.

[bigrobo89]

Hi,

First off there are a few things in your exif info that can be altered to help get a clearer shot.

Manual focus: try having the camera set to auto-focus in AI-Servo mode, that is to say that the camera will continually refocus the subject as it moves (as best it can) which should hopefully help getting a sharper shot. Trying to photograph a subject such as a small fast moving bird using manual focus must be insanely difficult!

ISO: Your 60D will have very capable higher ISO levels and I note you photographed at ISO 100. To help get a sharper image give the ISO a bump, say to 400, which will directly impact upon the required shutter speed, something you want as high as possible when photographing birds.

Aperture: Here I noticed you're photographing at F14. Apertures around F11-F16 are often used in landscape photography because they get such large swathes of an image in focus, offering little blur/bokeh. If you reduce your F-Stop to say F5.6 this will also increase your potential shutter speeds helping to better capture your subject. The trade off is that less of the shot will be in focus, but you will get a pleasing blurring which will help to emphasize the subject.

Shutter Speed: Finally from the EXIF is that a shutter speed of 1/40 handheld at a 250mm focal length is likely to produce some traces of blur in an image as trace body movements are picked up by the camera. Ideally for hand holding a shot it is recommended to work on the basis of 1/focal length or faster. Obviously this isn't a hard and fast rule particularly if you have image stabilisation, although a moving subject can't be helped with IS, but if slower speeds are needed perhaps consider a tripod.

If you try implementing the suggestions for increasing the shutter speed of the camera you should be able to get some nice clear shots of the birds, try and aim the focus towards the eye as the viewers natural reaction is to look into the eye of the subject.

In terms of the crop, I don't particularly find issue with the open space to the left, as it gives the subject somewhere to look into.

Hopefully this will be useful.

Paul

[lunathea]

I hope you don't mind me messing around with it. This was an extremely quick edit while making dinner obviously it could be a lot more refined. All I did was punch up the colors, chose a black point, messed a little with curves to bring out the wings a bit and pull out some green (so the trees don't take away from the bid as much). Quick sharpen and blur (you can see the blur lines lol, that's how unrefined it is), that's it. 2 min or so.

Is that the 55-250is lens you're using? If not a tripod is a must. Either way a faster shutter speed is a must to negate any blur from the bird or minor shakes. I'm still working on the nice crisp bird photo myself, this one is taken with the 55-250is


I'm a big fan of negative space but I feel the original has a bit too much tbh takes away from the bird a bit. He's a lovely bird though so keep shooting!!!

I would also check out this thread Focusing on Birds some helpful information and comedy

~Ali

[Phoenix_Jackson]

It's an IS lens and I was wondering how to cope up with its slow AF. I was having difficulties with AI Servo that's why I switched to MF. I should have thought about ISO. But then I really thought my shutter speed is already high. I honestly forgot about that 1/focal length rule of thumb. Another big mistake on aperture. I did notice that the background is a little too detailed for this shot.

I think I got so worked upon my personal assignment (landscape night shot) that the settings I had in mind carried out on this session. Thank you so much for pointing those out. I need more awareness... perhaps a slap on the head.

I was a bit worried about the color. The original doesn't show how blue Helena's (not really its name) wings are. I love what you did.

Thank you very much for the feedback, suggestions, and examples. I have learned a lot.

[JFSanders]

I took a look at the uncropped version and with the sky being blown out it really limits your options. You definitely needed a faster shutter speed as you have a pretty soft photograph. Not deadly soft but it isn't going to win any competitions. Widen up and speed up your lens and shutter speed dial in about -1/3 ev compensation and get the bird sharp. You can work the blown out sky in post although a better answer would have been to change your POV to get a darker background .

Here is a try I took at the uncropped version.

Jim