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 p.2 #12 · A brief user review of the 400 DO II's strap mount :) | |
PetKal wrote:
Romy, that Egret rocks....excellent, which means a number of important things have fallen into place: the bird attitude caught, exposure, background, framing, etc.  ...it's all there.
Framing of BIFs is like a grammar of our native tongue speech: we should be able to do it right without even thinking about it, i.e., instinctively. 
Lastly, few people seem to understand that the lens performance is just one of many building blocks which make a photograph. Obviously, there is also the operator's capture skill, the light available, post processing and presentation techniques, camera performance, luck, opportunity, etc. etc. Therefore, pictures like yours tell more about your overall skill and opportunity, than about the lens you happen to have on the camera.
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Thanks again, Pete... very well said on the things that come into play in making an image.
For BIFs, indeed, the camera + lens should become an extension of the shooter, much like the way a long club gives a golfer a longer arc and faster swing at the club head. A longer combo is tougher to wield, but when used effectively will get more information density (frame filling shots).
Exposure settings (manually set because of varying range of plumage tonality vs BG) should be quickly set on the fly without looking at the EV meter, and target acquisition/tracking should be instinctive, deeply etched in muscle memory.
When the gear is mastered and the technique is well practiced and becomes second nature, then a nice subject, some good light and a pleasing environment complete the capture equation. Learning the behavior of the subject and going out very often increase the chances of success in the capture stage. Still, the image workflow doesn't stop there.... one still has to PP the capture competently to maximize the impressiveness index of the image for viewers (tough to do this last part if one is color-blind, with 5-decade old eyes needing reading glasses).
BIF shooting sounds difficult, but that's what makes it so much enjoyable for me, especially if the image is commented on favorably by a mastershooter like the SuperDOteleMaster.
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Among the first tests I did with my DO was to shoot busy scenes with challenging lighting to see if the bokeh of the lens has some unpleasant surprises. I'm glad the quality of the OOF areas was at least as good as the big whites I've used.
