Swallows at the pond tonight

[herderdog]

Well, this was a challenge!
--catching these guys on the wing--and not much light (it was raining). These were with the 100-400L. Any suggestions on settings that could have made this easier are welcome!
I did get a couple of shots that were OK. They were incredibly fast flying and never stopped moving. 1/2000sec. f/5.6 ISO 800
http://www.pbase.com/herderdog/image/43633464.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/herderdog/image/43634397.jpg

[Leorooster]

Great captures.....especially #1......looks like it's about to make a sharp turn. In-flight shot is never easy. Great job! BTW, did you use a tripod or it's hand held?

[herderdog]

Leorooster --Thanks,
These were handheld with the IS on
--in hindsight, maybe it would have been better to turn it off-might have given me a little more light that way.
I was out training dogs--so the camera thing was just a quick deal after I was done. Would like to try again sometime when I could really take time to study it.

[prime80]

I think they look great! And with such small targets, getting captures that good is pretty darn impressive.

[Leorooster]

Wow, impressive lens....my next target.....:eek: :eek:

Thanks for sharing and I'm looking forward to seeing more great shots from you.....

Leorooster --Thanks,
These were handheld with the IS on
--in hindsight, maybe it would have been better to turn it off-might have given me a little more light that way.
I was out training dogs--so the camera thing was just a quick deal after I was done. Would like to try again sometime when I could really take time to study it.

[robertwgross]

These were handheld with the IS on
--in hindsight, maybe it would have been better to turn it off-might have given me a little more light that way.

Please explain.

Image Stabilization does not give light nor take it away. In a perfect (tripod) situation, let's say that you might have wanted to shoot at 1/500 shutter. Then with I.S., you could shoot at maybe 1/125 shutter with the same degree of apparent camera shake.

However, that doesn't do anything for you at all when you are only trying to overcome subject motion blur!

---Bob Gross---

[herderdog]

Bob, thanks for clearing that up for me--
My misunderstanding--I don't know why I thought I had read that turning the ISO of would possibly give another stop.
I always forget to turn it off when shooting action anyway.:o

[weemannie]

Lovely shots of a very difficult subject.

Thanks for sharing :)

[tupe]

Wow wow WOW!!! I can't even get good shots of them resting. You caught #1 in one of those sharp turns that takes maybe a nanosecond!

Thanks for the tip on turning IS off. The effect is like having more light, and I can sure use that shooting small birds.

[GTogs]

Great Capture!

[cfcRebel]

Man, swallow is extremely hard to capture. Good job Bonnie.

Why turn off IS? Isn't 100-400L has two IS modes? One for normal IS, and another for panning shot, no?

[herderdog]

Thanks everyone! :D

I was just fooling around--there were lots of these guys catching bugs above the pond and fields--I just kept firing away if I had one in my sights-hoping to get one.
The people I was with thought I was nuts!! :mrgreen: Must of taken a hundred shots.

[PhotosGuy]

Good start with difficult subjects! Keep at it!

[herderdog]

These birds were actually coming quite close to me at times, but the closer they got--the more impossible to keep them in the frame. Both of these pics were at about 60 ft. or so away -(a little spot in the frame).

[Reigh Higgins]

Great work !!!

[robertwgross]

My misunderstanding--I don't know why I thought I had read that turning the ISO of would possibly give another stop.


Before, we were discussing IS (Image Stabilization). Now we are discussing ISO (sensitivity)?

Those are two completely different things. Increasing ISO by one step will allow a brighter exposure by one step.

---Bob Gross---

[tupe]

Ya know Bob, for someone who never, ever posts images here, you sure are a wealth of information.

[BlueTit]

Great shots of a very adifficult subject. I have never got a decent shot of them but my brother has several. He reckons that if you watch them carefully they follow a pattern, the swoop and glide a few feet then turn fly, swoop and so on, he says with practise you can get them on the turn. I have tried this with no luck, but maybe someone else will crack it.

[robertwgross]

Ya know Bob, for someone who never, ever posts images here, you sure are a wealth of information.

Is that a statement or a comment?

My images have been on the web since 1996. You don't have to look at them if you don't want to.

My point is that when somebody describes a photographic technique that is unclear, then maybe they need to explain it.

---Bob Gross---

[LazyPhotographer]

The shots are great! These guys are so very hard to capture in flight. I spent a morning trying - and ended up on my butt in the dirt. All the turning in circles and looking up through one eye almost put me over the railing of the bridge!

One thing you might try is pre-focusing, and waiting for them to come in front of the camera.

[PhotosGuy]

Ya know Bob, for someone who never, ever posts images here, you sure are a wealth of information. Leave Bob alone. As long as he keeps writing... ;):D

[mrclark321]

Great captures

Dan

[herderdog]

Why turn off IS? Isn't 100-400L has two IS modes? One for normal IS, and another for panning shot, no?

cfcRebel--

You know--I'm so new at this--I did forget about the panning mode--I'll try it next time I get a chance! Good tip!

And Bob--I'm sorry, I did not mean to type "ISO" in that reply.
"--I certainly meant " IS" I should of re-read my post. It is a fifty-something issue I think. :o Sorry.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Excellent work gettibg these rockets in flight... especially with the 100-400mm!!!!!!!!!!! :shock:

[robertwgross]

And Bob--I'm sorry, I did not mean to type "ISO" in that reply.

Nothing to be sorry about. It's just that if one reader gets confused, then more readers will likely get confused also.

When I see good wildlife photography of any sort, I like to read a good description of the technique or technical details. Sometimes I learn something new, and sometimes I don't.

---Bob Gross---

[MarkoPolo]

Great shots. Ihave ISO/ASA confusion, too. Must be my age! Thanks for sharing.

[Rob612]

I never managed to get a in flight shot of a swallow. I have tried maybe 200 times with no result. And I shoot skeet, so I'm supposed to be used to follow in flight stuff. No way. At the end I gave up. I think its because their flight is so fast and unpredictable.

I don't like swallows :D :D :D :D

[PhotosGuy]

Ihave ISO/ASA confusion, too. Me, three! :D I have to delete & retype all the time!

[herderdog]

:lol: Yep--I have a heck of a time typing and getting it right the first time. (as you can tell)


never managed to get a in flight shot of a swallow. I have tried maybe 200 times with no result. And I shoot skeet, so I'm supposed to be used to follow in flight stuff. No way. At the end I gave up. I think its because their flight is so fast and unpredictable.



I had more than one swallow to shoot at--or I never would have gotten a picture at all!
There were lots of them--and they just kept coming. I would catch hold of one and stay with it as long as I could--firing the camera when it got in close.