2020 Project 52 by Geoff F - 1st Quarter

[Shadowman]

Nice series, the closeups are really good.

[skitterbug]

I like the water textures and especially like the detail of it in your close up of the surfers. I also think the photo of the sheep looking at the unseen dog, a good one! It does surprise me that the sheep have decided to keep distance between them rather than snuggling closer together. I enjoy viewing your work!

[Antonio Correia]

Week 03 - Kite Surfers off Bantham Beach. ...

...

Geoff, it looks to me and I may be wrong, that you could benefit these images using the Dehaze slider. Have you tried ?

These photographs reminded me some others I have shot 3 or 4 years ago, in the west coast of Portugal where my son was practising the same sport. Back then, I was using a Panasonic GX7 + Metabones + Nikon 200mm f/4.0 and I do remember the wind was very very strong and it was rather difficult to shoot.
It looks the same was happening you.
Have a nice Sunday !

[Geoff F]

I did use a bit of Dehaze filter, Antonio. I am always wary of over doing that adjustment and ending up with an unnatural looking result but it might be worth a go as a background layer where I can use a higher setting and combine it with masking. Possibly with some stronger backs as well.

However, whatever I do with that particular camera angle will be somewhat flawed due to the light angle which was at 90 degrees and all that moisture in the air. The other image with the light behind me has produced a cleaner image, although not quite as interesting as the rougher sea shots.

That 150-600 lens produces reasonable results in ideal conditions but poor light is a bit of a struggle. I was shooting at the 150 mm end and I tend to think that part of the range isn't as good as the full 600 mm end. I did try some shots with my 24-70 lens but they were a bit too distant. My 70-200 lens would have been a better bet but, as so often happens, the best lens to use is the one you have with you; not the one left at home.

Here is an alternative edit where I have worked on the background with more Dehaze filter plus some other tweaks on a layer which has been merged with the original using masking.

[Geoff F]

Week 04 - Attempts at bird photography. We have had a lot of dull murky weather here which has severely limited any outside work but when there has been a short brighter spell I have been having a go with the birds; but without much success. Most potential subjects have kept their distance and even when something has come closer the light angle has been wrong. So I am now considering hiring myself out as a scarecrow!

Top of the creek, but not many birds around.



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens. Merge of three bracketed exposures with the middle one at 1/250 F11 Iso 200

At a bird hide there are some feeders but they need topping up so a couple of Blue Tits were attempting to reach the last peanuts.



Sigma 150-600 Sport lens at 600 mm. 1/800 F11 Iso 400

Eventually a Great Tit got the last nut.



1/500 F11 Iso 400.

The light angle wasn't ideal for this Little Egret



1/1250 F8 Iso 400

This Crow was wandering around the edge of the creek turning over sticks and pieces of wood looking for edible bits so I had a go at photographing the behaviour but the light was wrong and I struggled to get a good focus.



1/320 F8 Iso 400

[Shadowman]

Nice bird series.

[Antonio Correia]

I did use a bit of Dehaze filter, Antonio...
Here is an alternative edit where I have worked on the background with more Dehaze filter plus some other tweaks on a layer which has been merged with the original using masking.

Geoff, this is clearly a good alternative to the first you have posted. Mos probably there was some kind of mist in the air caused by the strong wind...
-

...The light angle wasn't ideal for this Little Egret

1/1250 F8 Iso 400...

Not considering the first good shot which follows the same look of the previous ones, this is also a nice series of birds.
Don't be too hard (or harsh ?) on yourself Geoff on this little egret. The shot is fine !

[Wavelength]

Nice images

[Geoff F]

Week 05 - Another day of bird photography. Rather poor light, so I had to use Iso 800 to get sufficient shutter speed

Charleton Marsh beside the bird hide.



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens. Merge of 3 bracketed exposures with the middle one at 1/160 F11 Iso 400

Cirl Bunting. Generally rather scarce but they do visit bird feeders at this site.



7D with Sigma 150-600 Sport lens 1/500 F8 Iso 800

Long-tailed Tit which kept flitting around and moving faster than I could focus.



1/800 F11 Iso 800

Water Rail. Another rather uncommon bird which is often found close to the hide.



1/320 F8 Iso 800

[Antonio Correia]

This time Geoff, I have worked a bit on your last photograph. I darken the background and enhanced the bird a bit giving more light.
It is not a very good work ... I have selected the bird and made a blur on the background making it also, a bit saturated...
What do you think Geoff ?

[Shadowman]

Nice setting and captures.

[Cantab]

I enjoyed them all but the long tailed tit is intriguing. It definitely has a long tail! But then I noticed its face; the feathering around the eyes reminded me of an owl looking straight at me!

The composition in the first photo seems to work well. The scene left me curious about what it looks like once the trees have leafed out and everything has turned green.

[skitterbug]

Hi Geoff - Your captures of bird images are interesting and well done! My favorite is the Long-tailed Tit!

[Geoff F]

Long-tailed Tits are always popular birds and often appear as a flock of 10 or more which all cluster around a feeder. With their fluffy texture they look like toy birds made from fleecy fabric. The 'standard pose' for bird portraits is a side view but I rather liked this alternative with it facing forwards.

With the Water Rail, I did select the bird and grass which I sharpened then inverted the selection and did some noise reduction on the background reeds. I also brightened the bird and grass slightly. Maybe I will have a go at darkening the background; although the grass will need to be at a similar brightness level to the bird.

[Geoff F]

In week one, I mentioned that I will be returning to the same scene each month to record the seasonal changes.

Week 06 - Andrews Wood - February Not much of a change so far except for a different sky colour and the gate is now open.



7D with Tamron 24-70 lens. 1/250 F11 Iso 200

And an adjoining field.



1/400 F11 Iso 400

[Shadowman]

Week 6, are you evaluating the images based on prints on through monitor and are you using the same focal length specifically for the row of tree? Nice efforts.

[Antonio Correia]

Geoff, perhaps you are willing to make a mosaic of your various images...
Have a nice Sunday !

[Geoff F]

Thanks for the comments.

That 'change of scene through the year' started as an idea on the Nature UK website which I regularly visit. Several people will be doing their own Change of Scene threads there. I will certainly do something else with my images at the end of this year.

As well as that changing scene, I intend to also include a few images of the nearby areas and some of the wildlife which can be found from that position.

[Geoff F]

Murky and windy weather has been setting me a bit behind but today was brighter although still with a fresh chilly wind so after a bit of shopping I diverted to a local bird hide. Not totally successful with the common problems of subjects too far away, wrong light angles, poor focus, etc.

Week 07 - Cormorant with a Blenny (or some similar type of fish)



7D with Sigma 150-600 lens 1/640 F11 Iso 400

[Antonio Correia]

Nice Geoff !
There are also cormorants in Setúbal (of course) but I never photograph them. My wife does with quite success even using her 85mm on the 6500 so 127mm more or less...
I am in my MacBook and the second image looks a bit blurred to me just on the head of the animal. It's perhaps the monitor as it is too small.
Cheers !