YES!! I caught a fish!!

[Edmund]

Black-Crowned Night Heron
Canon EF100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS USM with EF 2x II TC and EOS 3 body
800mm @ EV 0: 1/60 sec at f/11, fill-flash -1 (with Flash Extender) on tripod
Fujichrome Provia 400F

Pity about the space on the right side...

Comments are welcome.

[eadwine]

nice focus on the bird

[siron]

Thats a big fish~

[Tweek]

That's an interesting composition, but pity the fish isn't really sharp. Movement blur (was the fish struggling?)? Not enough DOF? Also, other than the fish's head, the picture looks quite flat....don't know lah, it's just my gut feel.

[Edmund]

Thanks for the comments.

Quote: Originally posted by Tweek That's an interesting composition, but pity the fish isn't really sharp. Movement blur (was the fish struggling?)? Not enough DOF? Also, other than the fish's head, the picture looks quite flat....don't know lah, it's just my gut feel.

The fish I believe was already dead. But the Heron was swinging its beak around and I caught this shot just as it stopped - probably residual motion caused by momentum resulted in the blurred fish?

As for the photo looking flat, I've tweaked the contrast a little, how's it now?

[Tweek]

Quote: Originally posted by Edmund As for the photo looking flat, I've tweaked the contrast a little, how's it now?

It still looks like the heron is a flat cardboard pasted onto the background leh....it is perhaps due to the scan. I'm sure the slide version looks a lot better. It's quite a pity that slide quality can't be reproduced digitally.....

[Edmund]

Quote: Originally posted by Tweek It still looks like the heron is a flat cardboard pasted onto the background leh....it is perhaps due to the scan. I'm sure the slide version looks a lot better. It's quite a pity that slide quality can't be reproduced digitally.....

Hmmm.. I dun know.. I'm not trying to be defensive here, just honestly curious about why you feel that way, cos to me, I feel that it almost looks like the Heron is "popping" out of my screen with its head.

Can you perhaps elaborate further?

What do the others think? I'm curious to know.

[Edmund]

Ok, I've got a comment that says that the digital flatness could be due to the outline of the bird being too "straight", making it feel less natural. What do the rest of you think?

Looks like leaving all that space on the right has made the photo worse than I have possibly imagined.

/me aims for the bin...

[Flare]

It looks ok to me... Don't look like a manipulated image. But the space on the right is a pity...

[Adam Goi]

Aren't pictures 'flat' in the first place?

I suppose it's the angle of which the subject is shot and the lighting conditions then can bring out the '3-D effects' of subject

[Tweek]

Quote: Originally posted by Edmund Ok, I've got a comment that says that the digital flatness could be due to the outline of the bird being too "straight", making it feel less natural. What do the rest of you think? Looks like leaving all that space on the right has made the photo worse than I have possibly imagined. /me aims for the bin...

hey come to think of it, that's true, it's because the outline is too straight. Don't aim for the bin! It's still a nice shot, just that I wanted to bring to your notice the apparent "flatness" I feel. It may be because of my inferior monitor too, who knows. Because as I look closer, I can feel the "head popping out" effect that you mentioned, just that it requires a little imagination on my part.

If I can meet you someday, and if I'm lucky enough, I would like to see the slide version to dispel the sense of flatness...

[Edmund]

Quote: Originally posted by Flare It looks ok to me... Don't look like a manipulated image. But the space on the right is a pity...

Other just the usual crop of the edges (after scanning from film) and the tweaks to contrast/brightness/color to match the slide on a lightbox, no other manipulation was done. The photo is full framed.

Quote: Originally posted by Tweek If I can meet you someday, and if I'm lucky enough, I would like to see the slide version to dispel the sense of flatness...

Sure! I'm certain there'll be an opportunity, but you'll have to remind me to bring it..

[Tweek]

I just remember that I have a shot of you in a sniper pose during our last zoo photoshoot...thinking maybe you'll like to have it. Here it is:

[Edmund]

Quote: Originally posted by Tweek I just remember that I have a shot of you in a sniper pose during our last zoo photoshoot...thinking maybe you'll like to have it. Here it is:

Kewl!! Thanks thanks!!

[scanner]

Quote: Originally posted by Tweek I just remember that I have a shot of you in a sniper pose during our last zoo photoshoot...thinking maybe you'll like to have it. Here it is:

Wow......such a big toy U have.

[kylelam77]

yeah man. big toy.....