Bob Talbot <BobTalbot@st-abbs.fsnet.co.uk> wrote/replied to: >Jim Davis - Walking on Water >Yes, I love coots and moorhens. This one is definitely a coot. > >The shot has caught the splash/bird positioning perfectly. Despite >the fast "film" speed quoted the water droplets are not sharp. which >is a shame. What was the shutter speed? As with many nature shots >taken in the wild (or possibly in a reserve) is that when you get the >action you want you can't always get the setting. The background in >this shot is natural but still bland. I wish the light was better on >the bird (so I could resolve it from the shadows) but then again it's >black so not easy. > >A seriously interesting shot nature wise but some flaws >photographically. Well, this shot was taken on a grey day along a shadowed dark area. Separating a black bird is difficult even in bright sun with a nice background. I can only hope to take a scene like this in better conditions. For one thing, at this ISO, it's pretty grainy up close. For another, it did need a faster shutter speed. Shot at 1/1000 f5.6 wide open at 400mm. If anyone out there hasn't seen a Coot 'run' on water, then believe me, this critter moves close to the speed of light. Panning an F1 car would be much easier... Look at the distance between 'footprints'. Image Stabilization once again has been a really great thing. Even at 4 times this shutter speed I can't imagine freezing this bird without IS. Jim Davis - checkout the Motorcycle Headlight Relay Kit at: http://jimdavis.oberro.com/html/bike_acc_.html
