Wings

Gallery: AvianPosted February 26, 2014154 views6 comments

A long exposure captures the movement of the wings of a Seagull on Virginia's Eastern Shore. I've been experimenting with this technique lately, and I just love going through the resulting images and being surprised by what I find. Even after thinking about how this could have happened, how the image stabilization of the lens and the long exposure combined together could might produce this effect, it still stumps me to some degree. C&C very much appreciated.

Canon 5d Mark iii, Canon 300mm f/2.8 lens, 1/10 sec at f/32, ISO 400

Comments

6 comments

Comment posted by Barb Pflaum on February 27, 2014 at 6:45 PM

This is a very cool effect! Nicely done!

Registered on January 14, 2009, 316 Posts, 2724 Comments

Comment posted by Thomas Haney on February 27, 2014 at 7:46 PM

Thanks Charlie, I know that it happened because of the shutter speed in a broad sense, I was talking about visualizing exactly how there was a sharpish image of the bird and it's wings more or less completely separately, rather than just a uniform blur.

Registered on April 7, 2013, 138 Posts, 537 Comments

Comment posted by Charlie VanTassel on February 27, 2014 at 8:15 PM

It happened because of the 1/10 second shutter speed. I like the effect too.

Registered on October 18, 2006, 644 Posts, 4801 Comments

Comment posted by David Haynes on February 27, 2014 at 8:33 PM

Thomas,
This is really cool. Have never experimented around with this but this is a really neat looking image. I might take a guess at how this happened. Obviously the slow shutter speed is what created the blur but the wings are moving at a much faster rate of speed than the body of the bird is particularly if you were focused directly on the body. Even at 1/10 of a second you could render a relatively sharp body while the wings are moving way to fast to freeze. That's my guess. Beautiful colors and a perfect head turn. Just love this image.

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

Comment posted by Thomas Haney on February 27, 2014 at 9:21 PM

I think you're right David, the exposure was at just the right moment when the wings were at their full extension down, and paused for about the length of the exposure. I have been enjoying experimenting with this lately, and I think a better image through this method is possible. Thanks again,

Registered on April 7, 2013, 138 Posts, 537 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on February 27, 2014 at 9:49 PM

A neat phenomenon, Thomas. It makes for a really nice composition.

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