Red Bird

[Stagecoach]

Having sat in the wagon at the seafront waiting for the rain and cloud to clear late afternoon I was just about to give up and go home when I spotted this red bird coming in quick to land nearby.

A quick panic brain search whilst driving the 30 seconds to the location and a change of settings from my landscape set-up got me these in a rush just as it was off again.

All taken with Shutter priority (should have been slower), Auto ISO, Spot metering, AF-C and BBF.

Not as good as I would have liked but an exercise in previously unused photographic brain data retrieval

No 1 - 1/250s, f/4.2, 38mm


No 2 - 1/250s, f/4.5, 44mm


No 3 - 1/250s, f/5.3, 120mm


Comments and suggestions welcome as always.

Grahame

[Shadowman]

I think they're pretty good. Nice effort.

[Stagecoach]

I think they're pretty good. Nice effort.

Thanks John, it's good to shoot something different at times.

[Brownbear]

Red bird... Well, yes you captured my attention.

All your usual great IQ, amazing focus. I think you blurred the propellers wonderfully. I like the 1st image the best, only because #2 & #3 are like shooting up at a bird (but birds undersides are prettier). I wonder if you know the pilot if you could get him/her to fly beside you. Just a thought because I know you'd capture some stunning images.

[Stagecoach]

Red bird... Well, yes you captured my attention.

All your usual great IQ, amazing focus. I think you blurred the propellers wonderfully. I like the 1st image the best, only because #2 & #3 are like shooting up at a bird (but birds undersides are prettier). I wonder if you know the pilot if you could get him/her to fly beside you. Just a thought because I know you'd capture some stunning images.

Hi Christina,

Thanks for commenting.

Regarding the focus I have a number of failures later in the sequence as it got higher which is a bit disappointing as there's some good angles as it turned and framed well. Looking at the series in ViewNX to show the focus points I can see where the focus point has moved off centre on some shots due to the 9 point Dynamic mode I was in and can see that some OOF shots don't show a focus point.

I need to analyse things to see if the OOF is due to simply being not focussed on, or, due to movement of the helicopter body being greater that what can be frozen at 1/250s.

But analysing can wait at the moment because tomorrow, sunrise and tide coincide with my tree on the beach project with the added bonus of a moon that should be quite bright roughly where I would want it. Only problem at present, rain yet again

Unfortunately I do not know the pilot but if I did I can envisage a shot at early sunrise, helicopter lit by flash with sea and and island in the background

Grahame

[Brownbear]

Hi Grahame,

Thank you for sharing.

I hope it didn't rain because I know that shot would be stunningly beautiful, as would the other image that you envision.

[deetheturk]

Not the red bird I thought I was going to see Good captures none the less bud, well done

Cheers David

[Kaye Leggett]

A quick panic brain search

Wow, do I identify with this sentiment ! The results are good, especially the first, you can feel the sense of movement. And you can be forgiven very easily for the slightly clipped wing,

[Stagecoach]

Not the red bird I thought I was going to see Good captures none the less bud, well done

Cheers David

I considered calling it red bird in flight David but I don't consider capturing this monster up close needed anywhere near the skill of feathery birds flying

Grahame

[Stagecoach]

Wow, do I identify with this sentiment ! The results are good, especially the first, you can feel the sense of movement. And you can be forgiven very easily for the slightly clipped wing,

Thanks Kaye, I think I'll get one of those Point and Shoot cameras with just one button to worry about

Yep, had two shots similar to No 1, both with the same wing clipped. I tend to frame things too tightly I think it's a habit from my macro tripod work.

Grahame

[John 2]

Hi Graham. Well grabbed.

[IzzieK]

Grahame, my vote goes to #1 too...the movement of the rotor is just right. The composition is fine there. No need to worry about. But the other two are just not a turn on...it lack angles. My stepson is also a chopper pilot and loves flying. -- but I don't trust him so the story goes. Shame you do not know the pilot. It looks like this one is use for tourism around the area?

[Wavelength]

Nice set

[Stagecoach]

Hi Graham. Well grabbed.

Thank you John

[Stagecoach]

Grahame, my vote goes to #1 too...the movement of the rotor is just right. The composition is fine there. No need to worry about. But the other two are just not a turn on...it lack angles. My stepson is also a chopper pilot and loves flying. -- but I don't trust him so the story goes. Shame you do not know the pilot. It looks like this one is use for tourism around the area?

I would have preferred to see a bit more rotor movement Izzie but I'm happy that at least I got some As for the non turn on of 2 & 3 know what you mean but at least I got a good white background

The chopper company does a bit of everything here from tourism to rescue.

Grahame

[Stagecoach]

Nice set

Thanks Nandakumar