Herons from today

[ssim]

I took a break and went down to Ile de Visitation which is usually good for a few birds. These were all shot with the 1DMKII with 300 f2.8 L IS and the 1.4 TC. Most of them were in the shadows so I threw the better beamer on the 550 for these as well.

http://www.pbase.com/ssim/image/49114410.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/ssim/image/49114411.jpg

A tad windy....can you tell.
http://www.pbase.com/ssim/image/49114412.jpg

[CyberDyneSystems]

:lol:

Look at the Punk hairdoo and that Black Crowned! :lol:

Awesome shots.. I love the BCNH shots!

You know.. the color and pattern of the feathers on your GBH's is so different from those around here.. so much so that me growing up spending summers in Georgian Bay.. and used to the grey looking GBHs up there.. the first time I saw one of our local GBHs I thought it was a differnt bird.

[mrclark321]

Wow, great shots!!

Dan

[jopfin]

Great shots, love the last 2, I do not know much about birds at all, so can I ask how big is the second one?...............Joe

[Scottes]

Wow! Nice shots Sheldon! I love #2.

[robertwgross]

Sheldon, I like what you got on the black-crowned night herons.

Here in California, I am often after those and also green herons.

My question is this. How or where is the Better Beamer most effective? These turned out good for you, but is there a minimum or maximum range that works best? I've used my 550EX on snowy egrets at a range of 65 feet before, so I know the whole lighting job is not easy.

---Bob Gross---

[Mitcon]

Fantastic captures Sheldon, love all 3, 2 is my fav. Damn fine shots.

[RockOne]

Greta shots. Like the feather detail on the GBH.

[sparker1]

Great work, Sheldon. Number 2 does it for me, although the hair style in number 3 is interesting.

[Jim_T]

Good ones... The Black Crowned Night Heron came out very well.. The white feathers are perfectly exposed..

[ssim]

Sheldon, I like what you got on the black-crowned night herons.

Here in California, I am often after those and also green herons.

My question is this. How or where is the Better Beamer most effective? These turned out good for you, but is there a minimum or maximum range that works best? I've used my 550EX on snowy egrets at a range of 65 feet before, so I know the whole lighting job is not easy.

---Bob Gross---
Bob

Getting used to the beamer took a little longer than I had anticipated but once you get it, it can produce some great results.

On the GBH in question here, he/she was about 100 feet from me and kept moving in and out of the shadows. That is why I used the beamer. When I used it on him I had dialed -1.5 on the flash output and then went anywhere from normal exposure to minus half a stop.

When it came time for the Night Heron they were much closer and I probably could have done without the beamer. They were probably about 50 feet away or less. I decided to leave it on and I dialed in-2 on the flash output and I was underexposing in some case by up to a stop or maybe even a little better.

I like the light that the beamer produces, it seems to not be as harsh as the straight flash.

I normally start with at least -1.5 on the flash unit and then do a few shots, checking the histogram. Any further exposure adustments I make on the camera. It works great for fill flash on hihg speed synch.

Here is one more of the guys that were in the trees. This one got nailed with too much flash but he was so darned funny. Had his back to us all the time and everytime he would look at the people he would bend his head down and look backwards like this.

http://upload.pbase.com/ssim/image/49120534.jpg

[dancinec]

Like all the captures, especially the BCNH showing the breeding feathers.

[PhotosGuy]

Nice shots!

[LazyPhotographer]

These are great... the BCNH is wonderful with the hair-do!

[stoneylonesome]

Great shots Sheldon, the 3rd and last are wonderful. love em all.:)

[tupe]

The GBH shot alone is very nice. The BCNH shots are marvelous. #3 - Wow!

[Crypto]

damn that lens rocks! Great shots

[robertwgross]

Sheldon, I am going to have to think about that Better Beamer stuff sometime before next spring's egret nesting season. They tend to be 60-70 feet out in a shady spot, and my 550EX is just barely getting there.

Yes, the Black Crowned Night Herons are the same way here. They nest in the trees, and it becomes a dangerous area for photographers to walk around or else risk the dreaded whitewash. I sure wish I could get up above them with a cherrypicker.

---Bob Gross---

[Stephen Stephen]

Great captures Sheldon.

[TammieO]

That second shot is awesome.

[malla1962]

Very nice shots.:D