For Fred -FDCPR

[Vinam]

Fred posted a wonderful Great Egret set, I mentioned I would give an example of some camera settings with might help with white birds in direct sun .. unless we're all entered in a Photo-Contest ( which we're not ) there is no compentiton here .. I am just trying to offer a little suggestion

White Swan in sunlight ( posted a while ago, but a little lost in all the baby Swan shots )


Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.01 sec (1/100)
Aperture: f/32.0
Focal Length: 81 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off

notice the slightly slower shutter speed of 1/100 , but the small Aperture of f32 , fluffy feathers with nice details , takes practice to get the ratio right ( I'm still learning too )

this shot is just over the edge of blowout.. but still shows feather details



Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture: f/20.0
Focal Length: 47 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off
this shot was was taken a month before the above shot.. I was just starting to see results working on the exposure setting .. 1/160th and f20 .. ISO was on auto and metered in the brown water .. should have been set to 100 !

wide open is not always the correct way, think about how hot the light from the sun is and it's reflecting most of that white hot light back off the feathers so you have to adjust as you go.


and I thought I'd add my own Egret who got over shadowed yesterday by the osprey chicks..



Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/400)
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 145 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire

Just worrying about feather details and I overexposed and blew out the water with my camera set for walking around shooting!!! oh well , it's a keeper none the less !!

I know this is not " How I shot it " , but I wanted to share this with everyone, cause I didn't stumble upon the white in sunlight answer.. I got help from DPS members and I'm just passing it along... it's still something I work on myself as conditions are never exactly the same.

Hope you found it helpful Fred and everyone else and I hope I didn't offend the forum gods !!

Vin

[Meadster]

Thanks for sharing Vin!

Why didn't you publish this 5 days ago when I was shooting some small Ibis in the swamps of SC?

Kudos & well said about this not being a competition!

It's a cooperation!

[fstopMike]

Vin, thanks for the info! I don't think this is much different from me looking at one of your shots and asking for the settings....and you have refined properly exposing white feathers on water in midday hot sun to an art.

[Vinam]

Originally Posted by Meadster

Thanks for sharing Vin!

Why didn't you publish this 5 days ago when I was shooting some small Ibis in the swamps of SC?

Kudos & well said about this not being a competition!

It's a cooperation!

/pulls the Meadster from the Crtique my Shot forums for a visit !!

Well John, I am honored and humbled a bit by your words of thanks and praise.. anyone who visits your website or scans your flickr can see you love the craft and you have an amazing body of work ( chipmunks to hawks, the sun to the moon ect ect ).. we never stop learning.. I checked with the Ibis, they agreed to be in the swamp when your ready for another shot at them !!

cooperation and fellowship =DPS

Originally Posted by fstopMike

Vin, thanks for the info! I don't think this is much different from me looking at one of your shots and asking for the settings....and you have refined properly exposing white feathers on water in midday hot sun to an art.

an artform in progress lol .. I had alot of help and a more then a few hundred shots to get somewhat decent at it and I still mess it up sometimes , thanks for the kinda words Bud.

[FDCPR]

Vin, this is very helpful and I really appreciate you taking the time to help, along with the willingness. I lost Internet connection for a bit and was on the mobile unit until it came back, glad to see this large. I agree totally that this is a place to learn and grow. If I can help anyone I am more than willing. For me helping someone else is almost as good as getting the shot myself. I am slowly learning to use digital better and slowly learning the environment where I live now. The sun here is blazing from early to late, sunrise and sunset is more like a light switch than twilight. The golden hour is closer to the golden five minutes. With all this sun I have to get this down pat if I want to take better photos of all these birds.

[Sparkie1263]

Nice job and explanation on how not to blow out the highlights on sunny days. Do you use the Histogram and adjust on the next image?? I always try to use the histogram to try to control the whites. I should start using the Bracket setting. I too have alot to learn. Just keep shooting and posting it helped me alot.

Thanks

Frank

[Vinam]

Originally Posted by FDCPR

Vin, this is very helpful and I really appreciate you taking the time to help, along with the willingness. I lost Internet connection for a bit and was on the mobile unit until it came back, glad to see this large. I agree totally that this is a place to learn and grow. If I can help anyone I am more than willing. For me helping someone else is almost as good as getting the shot myself. I am slowly learning to use digital better and slowly learning the environment where I live now. The sun here is blazing from early to late, sunrise and sunset is more like a light switch than twilight. The golden hour is closer to the golden five minutes. With all this sun I have to get this down pat if I want to take better photos of all these birds.

Fred, it's my pleasure, I just wanted you to know alot of us have struggled with the same thing and it feels like good to share some experiance with you. Keep at it, you'll be posting white birds in sunlight where we can count the feathers in a wing in no time !

Originally Posted by Sparkie1263

Nice job and explanation on how not to blow out the highlights on sunny days. Do you use the Histogram and adjust on the next image?? I always try to use the histogram to try to control the whites. I should start using the Bracket setting. I too have alot to learn. Just keep shooting and posting it helped me alot.

Thanks

Frank

Hiyas Frank !! thanks, a man of few words and great photos ! , I do not use the histo in the field, I have in the past to get a a sort of baseline.. but I kinda know the range of settings now and just make a a few with minor adjustments.. but it is a great idea to check as your going. I don't always bracket, just when it's really harsh and " I'm not feeling it "

hope Mom's feeling ok and things are going well

Vin

[Sparkie1263]

I hope to have the confidence to not have to CHIMP. It can mean the loss of a good shot but I hope the first few are good. I s shoot in M mode when using indoor flash. ( I don't know why)

My mom is doing better thanks for asking. She is just very tired. They are attacking the cancer with everything they have. It seems to be helping.

Frank

In case you don't know what the term CHIPMING means.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBVCiqEHv7w