Practice, learn, and retry!

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Larry Williams
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p.1 #1 · Practice, learn, and retry!

Greetings,

In my last post, “Migration”, I was having trouble with focusing. It seemed that I was having one of those days that we all have at times. Today I went out to practice shooting BIF, to learn what I was doing wrong, and retry to capture photos that had better focus. What did I find out? It really comes down to my technique and not the equipment. Even with a fast shutter speed, AF, and IS, my tracking movement was “jerky”, so jerky that IS could not compensate.

There were a lot of gulls flying and darting around today, so I practiced tracking and shooting them. Here are a couple of the shots. I continue to learn PP, and I have a lot to learn with that as well.

Your C & C is welcome.

Larry

Exif information
Model	Canon EOS 5D
Date	2009:11:07 00:39:26
Original date	2009:11:06 16:21:40
Exposure time	1/1600 sec
Focal length	400mm
Focal number	f/5.6
ISO speed	400 ISO
Exposure compensation	+0.3

Exif information
Model	Canon EOS 5D
Date	2009:11:07 00:37:30
Original date	2009:11:06 16:30:51
Exposure time	1/2000 sec
Focal length	400mm
Focal number	f/5.6
ISO speed	400 ISO
Exposure compensation	+0.3

Exif information
Model	Canon EOS 5D
Date	2009:11:07 00:35:05
Original date	2009:11:06 17:03:07
Exposure time	1/1000 sec
Focal length	400mm
Focal number	f/5.6
ISO speed	400 ISO
Exposure compensation	+0.3

Nov 07, 2009 at 07:14 AM

Larry Williams
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p.1 #2 · Practice, learn, and retry!

Last, a common look at a gull.

Exif information
Model	Canon EOS 5D
Date	2009:11:07 00:36:27
Original date	2009:11:06 17:01:54
Exposure time	1/500 sec
Focal length	400mm
Focal number	f/5.6
ISO speed	400 ISO
Exposure compensation	+0.3

Nov 07, 2009 at 07:14 AM

KirkB
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p.1 #3 · Practice, learn, and retry!

Perfecting your technique through practice makes for some very sharp images with really clean detail Larry.

Focus is spot on in all of these and I'm assuming from your intro that the percentage of in focus shots went up significantly.
I really like the wing positions and comps in 1 and 3... well done.
PP looks very good to me... but we all continue to learn and perfect those skills too.

Nice work Larry.

Kirk

Nov 07, 2009 at 07:26 AM

tfoltz
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p.1 #4 · Practice, learn, and retry!

Larry,
Seems a little practice went a long way... great focus on these,
love the eye clarity in #1.

Tim

Nov 07, 2009 at 07:32 AM

Larry Williams
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p.1 #5 · Practice, learn, and retry!

KirkB wrote:
Perfecting your technique through practice makes for some very sharp images with really clean detail Larry.

Nice work Larry.

Kirk
Hey Kirk,

Yep, my keeper percentage went up quite a bit. Smooth tracking helped a great deal, but good light also helps. I can't control the sun, but I will keep practicing the flow of tracking. Your comments are always welcome, and I learn from them. Thank you kindly.

Larry

Nov 07, 2009 at 07:32 AM

Duane N
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p.1 #6 · Practice, learn, and retry!

These look perfect to me as well. As they say...practice makes perfect and in-flights isn't the easiest thing to do.

Have you tried using a tripod rather then relying on IS until you get a better feel for tracking birds? Just a question...not saying you're doing anything wrong with your current approach.

Nov 07, 2009 at 09:35 AM

Larry Williams
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p.1 #7 · Practice, learn, and retry!

tfoltz wrote:
Larry,
Seems a little practice went a long way... great focus on these,
love the eye clarity in #1.

Tim
Hi Tim,

Thank you. Yep, practice does help. Yesterday there was a nice breeze and the gulls were soaring and darting all around, with that, their flight offered a number of different flight paths to focus on.

Larry

Nov 07, 2009 at 01:19 PM

Larry Williams
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p.1 #8 · Practice, learn, and retry!

Duane N wrote:
These look perfect to me as well. As they say...practice makes perfect and in-flights isn't the easiest thing to do.

Have you tried using a tripod rather then relying on IS until you get a better feel for tracking birds? Just a question...not saying you're doing anything wrong with your current approach.

Hi Duane,

Thank you for looking in and having enough interest to comment.

I do use a good sturdy tripod probably about 30 to 40% of the time. What's kind of funny is that the day of my "migration" post, I was using the tripod most of the time. There are number of problems with using tripods, at least for me. They are not very conducive to be carried around. It always happens that after I set them up, a unique shot appears 180 degrees behind the line of sight of the tripod. I about kill myself turning 180 degrees or trying to remove the camera from the tripod to get the shot. I will be looking into getting a quick release for the tripod, but I have often wondered how sturdy they are when carring the camera mounted on the tripod.

Larry

Nov 07, 2009 at 01:28 PM

Johnny Bravo
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p.1 #9 · Practice, learn, and retry!

These are pretty good efforts--you might open up your f stop a bit--they are a half a stop too dark in my view (all except the last one).

Nov 07, 2009 at 02:49 PM

Karl Witt
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p.1 #10 · Practice, learn, and retry!

Good that you gained some confidence back Larry

The first shot looks naturally good and sharp. #2 looks like the whites went real flat, perhaps too much highlight control? Also agree with JB that it could be a little underexposure on them. Last shot shows a great white and gray rendering, I like that shot

#3 is a great pose and a very nicely defined image

Karl

Nov 07, 2009 at 02:55 PM

Nello Milanese
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p.1 #11 · Practice, learn, and retry!

1 & 3 are really nice Larry

them seagulls make a perfect target for practicing

on the 2nd shot I see some loss of details due to strong NR.

Nov 07, 2009 at 02:57 PM

Tim Kuhn
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p.1 #12 · Practice, learn, and retry!

Looking real good Larry, these are nicely focused

You do have it correct, your technique cannot be jerky, that is the most difficult thing with IF shooting and the biggest reason for soft images, well once the SS is high enough. The eyes on the flyers tell the story

Well done.

Tim

Nov 07, 2009 at 03:33 PM

Larry Williams
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p.1 #13 · Practice, learn, and retry!

Johnny Bravo wrote:
These are pretty good efforts--you might open up your f stop a bit--they are a half a stop too dark in my view (all except the last one).

Hi Johnny,

Your points are well taken and I learn from everyone's C&C. They may have been underexposed a bit thru PP, something that I am learning as well.

Thank you very much,

Larry

Nov 07, 2009 at 03:57 PM

Larry Williams
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p.1 #14 · Practice, learn, and retry!

Karl Witt wrote:
Good that you gained some confidence back Larry

#3 is a great pose and a very nicely defined image

Karl

Hi Karl,

I always look forward to your C&C, which is always helpful. I will take your comments to heart and continue to learn. My main focus was "focus". The gulls presented themselves for BIF. I was so determined to get sharp photos, I wasn't even thinking of the whites. I think that some of the underexposure is due to PP.

Thank you my friend,

Larry

Nov 07, 2009 at 04:01 PM

Larry Williams
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p.1 #15 · Practice, learn, and retry!

Nello Milanese wrote:
1 & 3 are really nice Larry

them seagulls make a perfect target for practicing

on the 2nd shot I see some loss of details due to strong NR.

"Hello Nello",

Yo, thank you for looking in and giving me some C&C. Your comments, as well as others, always helps in my improvement. I did have some "Nello shots", but didn't post them.

Larry

Nov 07, 2009 at 04:03 PM

Larry Williams
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p.1 #16 · Practice, learn, and retry!

Tim Kuhn wrote:
Looking real good Larry, these are nicely focused

Well done.

Tim

Hey Tim,

Thanks for looking in. My technique needs to become second nature, but as for now, I'm working on it.

You do have me thinking about the last subject that we talked about!

Larry

Nov 07, 2009 at 04:05 PM

Tim Kuhn
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p.1 #17 · Practice, learn, and retry!

You do have me thinking about the last subject that we talked about!

Tim

Nov 07, 2009 at 05:14 PM

GAREN
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p.1 #18 · Practice, learn, and retry!

tfoltz wrote:
Larry,
Seems a little practice went a long way... great focus on these,
love the eye clarity in #1.

Tim

+1

Garen

Nov 07, 2009 at 06:07 PM

Mr Zoom
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p.1 #19 · Practice, learn, and retry!

There is a lot to be said for using good shooting techniques as you so admirably point out, Larry. I've done it so many times now that it has become second nature and I know at the time I take the photo that I have either gotten it or that I will be dissapointed when reviewing the days pics.

Some excellent flight poses in this set even if they are sea rats with wings

Ken

Nov 07, 2009 at 06:15 PM

Martin Good
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p.1 #20 · Practice, learn, and retry!

I find its good to practice with the gulls Larry as I am not as up tight as if I was trying to get say a cormi in flight and then I can concentrate on trying to get the shot right. On the framing I would suggest giving a little more space for the BIF to fly into in the frame and in the direction of the flight.
You got some very nice ones here, keep up the practice

Martin

Nov 07, 2009 at 06:26 PM

Larry Williams
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p.1 #21 · Practice, learn, and retry!

GAREN wrote:
tfoltz wrote:
Larry,
Seems a little practice went a long way... great focus on these,
love the eye clarity in #1.

Tim

+1

Garen

Thank you Garen.

Nov 07, 2009 at 10:58 PM

Larry Williams
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p.1 #22 · Practice, learn, and retry!

Mr Zoom wrote:
There is a lot to be said for using good shooting techniques as you so admirably point out, Larry. I've done it so many times now that it has become second nature and I know at the time I take the photo that I have either gotten it or that I will be dissapointed when reviewing the days pics.

Some excellent flight poses in this set even if they are sea rats with wings

Ken
Ken,

Thank youuuuuuu.

The "sea rats" are great for practice.

Larry

Nov 07, 2009 at 10:59 PM

Larry Williams
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p.1 #23 · Practice, learn, and retry!

Martin Good wrote:
I find its good to practice with the gulls Larry as I am not as up tight as if I was trying to get say a cormi in flight and then I can concentrate on trying to get the shot right. On the framing I would suggest giving a little more space for the BIF to fly into in the frame and in the direction of the flight.
You got some very nice ones here, keep up the practice

Martin

Martin,

Yep, gulls are good practice. It always seems that the one shot you really want gets soft. Thanks for the framing tips and for the looksee.

Larry

Nov 07, 2009 at 11:01 PM

morris
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p.1 #24 · Practice, learn, and retry!

Fine work Larry.

Morris

Nov 07, 2009 at 11:43 PM

BearCreekLar
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p.1 #25 · Practice, learn, and retry!

I think you did real good! Number 1 and Number 3 are my picks
Larry

Nov 08, 2009 at 12:04 AM


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