Snow Goose Sunset

Gallery: LandscapePosted December 3, 2017988 views8 comments

This is from the Sacramento NWWR, about a week ago. There are very few places to pull over in the areas that face west toward the sunset. So, my vehicle was in a somewhat precipitous position, sloping down toward the water, for this shot - to allow other vehicles to pass. This was hand held with some support provided by the window frame. I wanted to keep the ISO low to prevent excess noise, but also wanted the shutter speed fast enough to catch the flying geese. So I got the low noise, but the geese aren't so sharp. I am nonetheless pretty happy with the result. D800e, 16-28 2.8 @ 24, F18 (overkill), 1/25, ISO 100, HH. Would be very interested in your thoughts on this one.

Comments

8 comments

Comment posted by Preston Birdwell on December 3, 2017 at 6:56 PM

This is a fine California sunset. The color of the clouds and their reflection look real nice. The two large trees with their delicate branches work very well.
--P

Registered on November 1, 2003, 471 Posts, 5188 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Kearl on December 3, 2017 at 9:02 PM

It is a really nice sunset with the Geese as a plus if they were sharp.
They look fine on websize but probably not a large print.
F8 would have been fine as you probably know from your overkill comment.
That may have got them sharp.
Beautiful tonal quality to me anyway, you could always clone them out....

Registered on September 2, 2013, 209 Posts, 1514 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Teller on December 4, 2017 at 7:01 AM

I think this is a beautiful image. The light, colors, the sky, the reflections,the clouds pull the eye into the image, and a lot for the eye to explore. In a perfect world there might be a nit or two, but for me they would be minor. This creates a calm and peaceful mood.

Registered on August 23, 2010, 1162 Posts, 6692 Comments

Comment posted by Allen Brooks on December 4, 2017 at 3:11 PM

A beautiful scene. I like the two trees silhouetted against the setting sun. You can almost hear the geese and feel the temperature drop. Well done.

Registered on July 27, 2011, 262 Posts, 2597 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on December 5, 2017 at 12:01 PM

Jim,

Gorgeous sky and sunset. The geese really add to the overall impression, but get that they might not be sharp up close. I also like the thistle(?) pods at the bottom - You've included enough of them that it's clear they are part of the composition.

Ahhhh, and the large view reveals the crescent moon! Cool, this really brings the balance of the overall image together!

Beautiful.

Lon

Registered on November 24, 2006, 521 Posts, 19147 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on December 5, 2017 at 4:42 PM

The colors in the sky and their reflections are very dramatic, Jim. The geese, as well as the trees and foreground vegetation add lots of interest. Given the small size of the geese, I don't see them being a touch soft as being important, but this is viewing at NPN sizes. I think some dodging of the clouds and especially the moon through a lights luminosity mask would let the left side of the sky play a larger role.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hansen on December 6, 2017 at 10:41 PM

Thank you everyone for your comments and suggestions. Always appreciated.

Registered on May 5, 2011, 161 Posts, 908 Comments

Comment posted by John Tobias on December 11, 2017 at 11:42 PM

I am impressed! Very fine scene. For me the geese are fine as they are, the trees and the water along with the colors are what make this image work. Thanks for sharing.

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