Dawn Bluebird

Gallery: AvianPosted June 15, 2010394 views23 comments

When I dared wander into this gallery last week I was told to "...go away" (in jest) - looking forward to the response this time!

This guy popped into my viewfinder while I was waiting for a bear to show up

! I know this is a "bird on a stick" image, but it IS kinda a pretty bird on a cool looking stick!

Kidding aside - have been having some fun shooting in the hours before sunrise at some fairly high ISO's - have been enjoying the softness of the light and what can be done with the tonal range (even tho' - as seen here - there's still a directional component to the light). Being able to shoot at ISO 6400 or higher (tho' this one "only" at ISO 3200) sure changes things...including my sleep patterns (I'm on my 6th day in a row at getting up at 4:15 AM

).

Sorry about the out-of-focus areas on the snag - hope they don't distract too much.

Subject: Male Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currocoides) keeping up with his parental duties before sunrise
Location: Findlay Creek, BC, Canada
Camera: Nikon D3s
Lens: 600mm f4 VR paired with 1.4x TC-14EII teleconverter (850mmm EFL). Supported on tripod with Wimberley. SB-900 flash mounted on RRS bracket
Exposure: 1/125s @ f11; ISO 3200; -0.33 compensation from metered exposure setting on camera; -2.3 stop underexposure on fill (just enough light added to give me something to work with during processing).
Crop: This is about 85% of full frame- slight crop from top only
NOTE: No noise reduction other than "automatic"/default NR on my raw converter

All comments and critiques welcome, but probably better to view larger image first.

Cheers...

Brad

Comments

23 comments

Comment posted by Marie Mitchell on June 15, 2010 at 1:00 PM

Nice shot. I do like the colors!

Registered on May 13, 2010, 3 Posts, 117 Comments

Comment posted by Mauro Pasquero on June 15, 2010 at 1:09 PM

Very nice shot, Brad! Fabolous colors, great BG.
Please look at mine...I follow you again!
Mauro

Registered on January 21, 2010, 650 Posts, 2500 Comments

Comment posted by István Pénzes on June 15, 2010 at 1:20 PM

I like it very much, Brad. There are absolutely beautiful tones of blue here. Great comp, nice pose and lovely mood.

István

István Pénzes
Győr, Hungary

Registered on January 12, 2010, 35 Posts, 192 Comments

Comment posted by Darren Colello on June 15, 2010 at 3:10 PM

WOW, another avian winner!! The perch, colours, detail and bg are all amazing. Another terrific image for the already stunning portfolio.

Registered on July 27, 2009, 175 Posts, 1100 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Binda on June 15, 2010 at 3:44 PM

Cool shot Brad!! I have a D3s too and I've been shooting on iso 3200 as well and I think it shows a bit on the pics although this one looks pretty good to me

Registered on September 8, 2007, 56 Posts, 326 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on June 15, 2010 at 4:32 PM

Amazing results for such an ISO. Great subject; nice composition.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on June 15, 2010 at 4:47 PM

That is really a Blue Bird, some amazing detail for that ISO and the bug in the mouth completes the image, well done.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by Simon Bennett on June 15, 2010 at 4:54 PM

What a gorgeous blue, and I like the pose and prey item you've captured Brad. Impressive high ISO performance too. Well done, you've passed the bird on stick test, now we want to see a bear on stick.

Registered on February 4, 2007, 350 Posts, 4614 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on June 15, 2010 at 5:35 PM

Nice capture with the high ISO again Brad. I still think the bear is more impressive at ISO 25K.....I hope some of the avian folks that never wonder over in the fauna glalery go over and take a peek at it. I also like the color oyu acheived at the low light levels as well. Nice work.

Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments

Comment posted by David Chauvin on June 15, 2010 at 7:43 PM

Great job on the exposure, Brad. The hint of rim lighting sets the bird apart from the bg nicely.

Registered on August 5, 2004, 1007 Posts, 5595 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on June 15, 2010 at 8:11 PM

Sweet image, Brad. The lack of noise on this one almost makes me want to change brands. The oof parts of the snag don't distract much and the fuzzy caterpillar draws the eye away from it nicely.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by John Tobias on June 15, 2010 at 8:34 PM

Very nice Brad, at least you were waiting for a bear! Great color.

Registered on September 12, 2009, 2120 Posts, 6455 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on June 15, 2010 at 11:16 PM

f11, before sunrise...and no nits!

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Conway on June 16, 2010 at 1:10 AM

I was impressed by the bear but this is just outrageous.

Peter

Registered on June 25, 2007, 347 Posts, 3913 Comments

Comment posted by Joel DeYoung on June 16, 2010 at 7:19 AM

Gorgeous composition and details with excellent colors. The worm in the mouth is the icing on the cake. Looks real good for ISO3200! Well done.

Registered on July 12, 2009, 92 Posts, 1074 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on June 16, 2010 at 8:27 AM

Camera has performed beautifully Brad - like the back lighting and, as you said, great stick

cheers
Rob

Registered on November 8, 2003, 617 Posts, 8267 Comments

Comment posted by Roy Bailey on June 16, 2010 at 2:11 PM

Ver nice love the gentle rim light and the colour is stunning.

Registered on November 16, 2008, 24 Posts, 486 Comments

Comment posted by David Haynes on June 16, 2010 at 5:45 PM

Brad,
NICE lighting. Makes getting up at 4:00 in the morning worth it heh? If that's just a bird on a stick then I'm giving up photography. Prettiest bird on the coolest looking stick I've seen in a long time Brad. This is a beautiful post. From the textures and the colors of the perch to the feather detail, colors and slight head turn of the BBird, you nailed this one. Background is superb! At f/11 you got what you got and I wouldn't worry about the small OOF portions of the perch. Doesn't bother me at all. MOSTLY....ISO 3200???what??? Incredible. Not much noise at all and with no further processing this is, as Rich said, making me want a new body. Very nice post Brad

Registered on February 20, 2010, 110 Posts, 1511 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Maile on June 16, 2010 at 7:10 PM

Well that's a keeper Brad, wonderful blue, awesome detail. Yikes.

Registered on March 2, 2009, 984 Posts, 2518 Comments

Comment posted by antino cervigni on June 17, 2010 at 11:15 AM

Absolutely beautiful and lovely dreamy picture! SUPER!!!

Registered on April 17, 2010, 70 Posts, 202 Comments

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on June 17, 2010 at 9:35 PM

Wonderful results for such a high ISO, love the prey in the bill and the pose of the bluebird.

Registered on June 25, 2007, 491 Posts, 12566 Comments

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on June 18, 2010 at 12:33 PM

A great image with terrific blue!
Jagdeep Rajput

Registered on April 29, 2008, 686 Posts, 2857 Comments

Comment posted by Marlise Launstein on January 14, 2012 at 2:13 AM

AWW! He's so cute! I've seen blue birds but they never come super close to us so I don't have good picture's of blue bird's. The color's are pretty he has a nice pose, And I also like the way that the feather's are sticking up on his head. This is a great picture.

Registered on August 31, 2011, 28 Posts, 175 Comments