In wait

[dadas115]

I took this shot with my Canon Digital Rebel. Focal length = 560mm A = f/4.0 SS = 1/800Sec, ISO = 200. I tried to include some of the gator’s environment to make the picture more interesting. I also didn’t want to lighten it up too much because I liked the way the water looked but I think the gator might be a bit too dark. I would love any suggestions people might have about this picture.

Greg

[Norman]

Tight crop, full width of the frame but crop just above the gators head so you have a letter box shape, I think the background is a little distracting.

In wildlife pictures or most animal photo's the pro's always try & get a catchlight in the subjects eyes to give "life" to the picture, using a flash. With the telephoto your using you would need a focusing snout or screen on a powerful flash gun.

Had you tried shooting with a polarizing filter to cut down on the reflections in the water?

[dadas115]

The reflections in the water were the only part of the photo that even made me bother to post process it (I liked the way the water looked). I also find tight crops of wildlife to be pretty boring so I was trying to show a little of where the animal lives but I do agree the plants in the background are a bit distracting and that darn leaf on the bottom is annoying. I guess this one is a lost cause.

Greg

[Norman]

The reflections in the water were the only part of the photo that even made me bother to post process it (I liked the way the water looked). I also find tight crops of wildlife to be pretty boring so I was trying to show a little of where the animal lives but I do agree the plants in the background are a bit distracting and that darn leaf on the bottom is annoying. I guess this one is a lost cause.

Greg

That's why they invented photoshop, I have elements 2 & that leaf would be history! ;)

[gahspidy]

I like this as is except for the leaf in the foreground. That is easy to take care of. Just use your cloning tool to replace that leaf with water that is near it. I think the water is good and like the ripples around the gators head. The gator is a bit dark but this is how it looks in its enviroment. A slightly tighter crop on top and bit on the right might be good

[paulnj]

well ... you're using a 160mm objective lens .... so i know your tripod MUST go closer to ground level

my suggestions are....

lower
move right
open up to f7.1 or f8(or use DOF preview and manual focus to get snout in focus too)

Wimberley flash bracket/550EX/BB and fill at -2EV will give your shadows the light they need(don't know the flash sync on a 300D though)

http://www.tripodhead.com/brackets.html

not a bad image at all though!!!

[dadas115]

It is a 560mm lens (400mm f/2.8 with 1.4x TC) and I was not using a tripod (I never use a tripod with this lens). Unfortunately that clump of plants at the bottom of the frame was a little too close to the gator. I suppose I could go into PS and clone it out but I don’t usually like doing that. A picture like this is easy enough to just go back out and reshoot. I have tried using fill flash in the past but it always seems to come out artificial looking, in fact most of the nature shots that I have seen that used fill flash end up looking a bit artificial to me which is a bit of a shame. I have had some luck using fill flash with diffusers so the light isn’t so harsh but that decreases my flash range quite a bit. I will be the first to admit that I am not the greatest person with flashes and I am sure that there are tons of pictures that were taking using fill flash that look very natural but my skill level at the moment isn’t that good. The other thing that I have noticed is that the animals don’t usually seem to appreciate this bright flash going off at them and usually run away as soon as it starts firing off (especially when I am using something like a flash extender). I went back the next day and grabbed this picture. One of the nice things about living in Houston is that there are tons of gators around to take pictures of. I know that a fill flash is probably a very useful method for illuminating dark subjects in the wild (I see tons of photographers walking around with huge tele lenses and most of them have huge flash units on them along with huge tripods). I don’t use the tripods because I really can’t tell a lick of difference in my shots with or without a tripod. I would rather spend all that money on other things and I don’t care to lug around a heavy tripod along with my already heavy camera and lens. I also like it that I can lay down on the ground with the lens to get low angle shots like this one without much trouble at all. Thank you very much for your helpful and well thought out comments.

Greg

[paulnj]

THERE YA GO.. NICE YOUNG AMERICAN ALIGATOR !!!

flash is a very tricky thing to master(and i haven't come close yet either), but when done right it looks VERY NATURAL.

BTW... i knew you shoot a 400f2.8(160mm objective lens) from the 560f4 specs

i've handheld the 400,500 and 600(friends)...... TOO HEAVY after awhile, but tripods do hinder my style too

tripods DO HELP in some situations(like large prints or 1/125th SS with IS),but mine only comes out if it's DARK or i'm chasing A SERIOUSLY RARE SPECIES.

you can easily build a groundpod from beveled plywood that will further protect (and stabilize) that MONSTER lens.

the groundpod will also be very useful for galveston shorebirds if you choose to chase them too

here is a commercial model for reference http://www.naturephotographers.net/g...oundshot2.html

[dadas115]

I have tested the heck out of it and even at large prints (or viewing pictures at 300% on screen) my pictures with tripod are no different than the ones without. The difference is that there is a slight increase in the quantity of “sharp” ones with the tripod but not enough to make me the slightest bit interested. I can hand hold the 400mm f/2.8L IS and 600mm f/4L IS all day long (8 hour day) with no problems (obviously I’m not shooting continuously for 8 hours but like an 8 hour hike is what I am talking about). It took me a little while to get to that point but once your arms get used to it, it really isn’t much of a problem. I did have a lot of sore arm days when I first started though. The objective of the 400mm f/2.8L IS is not 160mm by the way. The inner diameter of the hood is 155mm so it is something smaller than 155mm (I have actually made a physical measurement of it). I find hand holding at 1/125 sec SS at 560mm with the 400mm f/2.8 to be a piece of cake, especially with IS. I find that when a tripod might help is when the SS starts getting lower than about 1/60 sec, but I always seem to find something to lean on so even then I usually manage to get sharp pictures. I always get lots of dirty looks from the other photographers toting around their big heavy lenses and huge tripods and giant bags of equipment. I usually travel as light as possible and have found that this has been my main recipe for success. For Galveston shore birds I have had lots of success with the EF 100-400 IS. I usually can get pretty close to them and I don’t mind crawling around on my belly and shooting from the prone position. I have never been one who worries much about getting muddy. Do you ever go down to Brazos Bend?

Thanks again for the useful info.

Greg

[paulnj]

my mother lives in houston.... me in NJ(hence paulnj)..... I've photographed every bird in brazos bend i bet(in 2 days)..... waist deep in mud, laying in that swamp, and yes... people thought i was nuts too

being an ex arborist(out of shape now) i assure you a 15lb camera is lighter to hold that a chainsaw at arms length ;)

btw.... 1 handhold my 1D/100-400 at 1/30th and used to hold my F100/400f5.6 at same with good success rates(60% sharp), so i know we are THE FEW that know proper technique

oh wait... the filter size of the 300f2/400f2.8/600f4 is 160mm....ooops

brazos bend assignment for you... fulvous whistling ducks, least grebe(RARE), moorhen, prairie falcon, crested caracara, few ibis, a rattlesnake( ok ..2 rattlesnakes) a tropical parula and a MALE PAINTED BUNTING a loggerhead shrike image would be too easy , but get me one

[dadas115]

I have seen every animal you mentioned out there except for the bunting. Brazos Bend is just a couple minutes drive from my house so I go out there a lot.

Here's a another shot I got this weekend out there.

Greg

[paulnj]

this is how a NATURE IMAGE should look!!!!!!!!

eye level(slightly above actually), room in front of subject, slightly off center...... but no catch light from the fill at -1.7 ev

background ISN'T distracting or competing in my opinion

btw i asked for FULVOUS whistling duck and LEAST grebe..... you have BLACKBELLIED WD and PIED-BILLED grebe i want rarities

next time i speak to my mother i will find out the address of the park i found AN AMAZING AMOUNT OF BIRD LIFE IN!! it was surrounded by busy streets and full of gang members, but the flood plane had 28 species of duck/waders(17 spoonbills) , sora, and yellow rail......

last i was in houston was 3 years ago in MID MARCH

btw... warbler season in south texas IS NOW!!!!!!

I'm more of a bird nerd than a photog

[Spike]

I like this one much better than the first. I prefer the subject looking towards the camera instead of away. The first gator seemed too dark to me. The light here is much better. I like how you framed this one too.

I do have to laugh though when you say it is a good thing that there are so many gators in your area! That's subjective, but I know what you're saying.

Spike

[dadas115]

Thanks again for your comments. I found this guy down there last month and people seemed pretty excited about it.

http://www.pbase.com/image/26627615

Greg

[paulnj]

forbidden link....

my email..... paulnjmich (AT)rcn(dot) com