I'll bust out the manual and re-read it. Hehe... I've never been much of a manual reader! (or a manual focus-er for that matter) Hehe.... Thanks Peter.
PetKal wrote:
Conrad, both of your cameras should have the "partial" metering mode on the control dial, in addition to evaluative, center weighted and spot metering. The camera manuals should also contain a little blurb on the way metering is done in each of the modes.
For an animal/bird shooter partial metering can be very useful.
Wow no live view... you have good eyesight AND have your diopter dialed in great! Alas, I lack in both arenas. Hehe... I just don't know how people use manual focus when the birds are in flight. It seems AF already has a hard enough time with it. And my pin-taping efforts were in vain. It just hunts and hunts even in broad daylight aimed at my license plate. Grr.....
Geert Koning wrote:
The camera was a 20D, so no live view......
Wow Wing I've always believed that it was always easier to bring UP and exposure than bring one down from being blown out. I suppose bringing one up introduces too much noise huh? I feel like learning how to shoot, meter, trace BIF goes hand in hand with learning how to process, frame, crop! Haha! It's like taking two courses with one discipline. Thanks Wing I'll try that too next time.
wing tong wrote:
+1
My 40d's EC is "stuck" on +1/3 for all photography (besides just BIF), it's usually perfect at that setting and if not, it is easier to bring down exposure in PP than it is to bring it up. When shooting 90% of birds which have a dark coat against a bright sky or water, that EC goes up to +2/3 or +1. White birds like the egrets get 0 EC but I will usually still have to bring the exposure down in PP. It's pretty simple most of the time unless you go from an egret to a coot and back again often which actually happened to me once and I forgot to change the EC setting.
By the way, if you need to save your exposure after the shot, PP is still a very good solution but watch out for the noise. ...Show more →
Conrad Tan wrote:
I'll bust out the manual and re-read it. Hehe... I've never been much of a manual reader! (or a manual focus-er for that matter) Hehe.... Thanks Peter.
Here I can show you a shot that has received no postprocessing adjustment other than resizing for web. I used spot metering (same idea as "partial" just smaller in area) tied to the active AF point on the brown pijun. It was the brown pijun that I wanted to have in focus and exposed right.
Any other kind of metering method would have been a real hit and miss here, between the whitish sky and the other dark pijuns.
That is about as good as a camera can do under the conditions. Then, if desired, one can take it further in pp.
Awsome! I never thought pijuns were an interesting subject to ever photograph. I'll try out my partial metering techniques this weekend. Thanks Peter!
PetKal wrote:
Here I can show you a shot that has received no postprocessing adjustment other than resizing for web. I used spot metering (same idea as "partial" just smaller in area) tied to the active AF point on the brown pijun. It was the brown pijun that I wanted to have in focus and exposed right.
Any other kind of metering method would have been a real hit and miss here, between the whitish sky and the other dark pijuns.
That is about as good as a camera can do under the conditions. Then, if desired, one can take it further in pp.
Spot metering is fine when you have a either a (mostly/entirely) light or dark subject (i.e. Egrets, Crows, Snow Geese). For contrasty subjects, like night herons, Pelicans, Terns, Bald Eagles etc, evaluative metering is the way to go for a balanced exposure between whites and blacks/dark and light. Constantly monitor the scene using your histogram, once you get the hang of it reading exposures by eye becomes almost second nature. I use a similar method to Wing's. Now, for your pleasure...a pair of tit's.
I'm embarrased to admit it, but I've never used my histogram. I'll practice that as well. Thanks Vers. (one more thing to add to the list of crap I don't know how to do hahaha! )
M Vers wrote:
Spot metering is fine when you have a either a (mostly/entirely) light or dark subject (i.e. Egrets, Crows, Snow Geese). For contrasty subjects, like night herons, Pelicans, Terns, Bald Eagles etc, evaluative metering is the way to go for a balanced exposure between whites and blacks/dark and light. Constantly monitor the scene using your histogram, once you get the hang of it reading exposures by eye becomes almost second nature. I use a similar method to Wing's.
Conrad Tan wrote:
Wow Wing I've always believed that it was always easier to bring UP and exposure than bring one down from being blown out. I suppose bringing one up introduces too much noise huh? I feel like learning how to shoot, meter, trace BIF goes hand in hand with learning how to process, frame, crop! Haha! It's like taking two courses with one discipline. Thanks Wing I'll try that too next time.
...well with a few disclaimers, way overblown whites will be impossible to bring back down so that's why you don't want to add any EC and may even reduce it or meter Manually. But most birds are of the dark variety and the BG is usually a bright sky or water, so yes noise becomes a big factor when trying to bring underexposed dark areas up in PP. And a number of your shots look underexposed so would need to bump up EC anyhow.
chupacabra31 wrote:
Awesome! Big jets against a blue sky are pretty easy if you ask me. I mean no offense, but try focusing on a flying duck against a background of woods or changing contrast subjects. Yes, you do have a point, much as I hate to admit it. I'm partial to shooting my subects be it aircraft or birds against a blue sky because it usually makes the subject "pop". I am learning to shoot birds against changing backgrounds though, and it is very challenging....
I'll try it! Wing I suggest you go out to Alviso behind the dump at the red radar tower this weekend. Remember exit Caribbean then turn right, then right again on Borregas, then left at the water treatment plant, then park, then walk immediately to the right side of the creek, then all the way to the end, then where there is a sign that says, "No Trespassing" on your left, go in! The birds are all back there. I'm sure ALL of these birds are still there. Good luck Wing!
wing tong wrote:
...well with a few disclaimers, way overblown whites will be impossible to bring back down so that's why you don't want to add any EC and may even reduce it or meter Manually. But most birds are of the dark variety and the BG is usually a bright sky or water, so yes noise becomes a big factor when trying to bring underexposed dark areas up in PP. And a number of your shots look underexposed so would need to bump up EC anyhow.
Arun Gupta wrote:
What are good places to bird in Central New Jersey?
Arun, I am still trying to figure that out. The images that I have shown here are either taken at Kennedy Park in Sayreville or at the Bay in Paerth Amboy.
Here's a "different" bird shot with the 400 I had a couple of years ago. It was, and continues to be a great lens but I needed more flexibility so I went with the 100-400. BIF are fast but JIF (Jets In Flight) are faster...
Conrad Tan wrote:
I'll try it! Wing I suggest you go out to Alviso behind the dump at the red radar tower this weekend. Remember exit Caribbean then turn right, then right again on Borregas, then left at the water treatment plant, then park, then walk immediately to the right side of the creek, then all the way to the end, then where there is a sign that says, "No Trespassing" on your left, go in! The birds are all back there. I'm sure ALL of these birds are still there. Good luck Wing!
Conrad, I will likely be out at The Baylands in Palo Alto on Saturday, drop by if you can. Last week when I was at Alviso, I was actually walking towards that area you described but it didn't look very promising from afar so headed back. Next time I get over there, I will have to check it out...I may even drop by after The Baylands since they're relatively short driving distance.
That's what I thought! What bird could possible be back there right?!? I couldn't have been more wrong. TONS of them back there the last few days.
wing tong wrote:
Conrad, I will likely be out at The Baylands in Palo Alto on Saturday, drop by if you can. Last week when I was at Alviso, I was actually walking towards that area you described but it didn't look very promising from afar so headed back. Next time I get over there, I will have to check it out...I may even drop by after The Baylands since they're relatively short driving distance.
M Vers wrote:
Spot metering is fine when you have a either a (mostly/entirely) light or dark subject (i.e. Egrets, Crows, Snow Geese). For contrasty subjects, like night herons, Pelicans, Terns, Bald Eagles etc, evaluative metering is the way to go for a balanced exposure between whites and blacks/dark and light. Constantly monitor the scene using your histogram, once you get the hang of it reading exposures by eye becomes almost second nature. I use a similar method to Wing's. Now, for your pleasure...a pair of tit's.
