Chesterfield Canal
Discussion
Had a walk along the reclaimed section of the old Chesterfield Canal the other night, and bumped in to a family of swans. Wouldn't mind a bit of advice and feedback please, but can you keep it fairly simple for me please? I'm not really progressing beyond clueless novice.
One thing I noticed (more particularly in some of the shots I didn't post) is that I'm very often not focusing on the right point. I'll work on that.
I did the resize and sharpen that Simpo suggested, and will sort out another hosting site when I get back from hols.
[pic]http://photos.fotango.com/p/eba00500571f00000027.jpg[/pic]
[pic]http://photos.fotango.com/p/eba00500571f00000028.jpg[/pic]
[pic]http://photos.fotango.com/p/eba00500571f00000029.jpg[/pic]
[pic]http://photos.fotango.com/p/eba00500571f00000030.jpg[/pic]
One thing I noticed (more particularly in some of the shots I didn't post) is that I'm very often not focusing on the right point. I'll work on that.
I did the resize and sharpen that Simpo suggested, and will sort out another hosting site when I get back from hols.
[pic]http://photos.fotango.com/p/eba00500571f00000027.jpg[/pic]
[pic]http://photos.fotango.com/p/eba00500571f00000028.jpg[/pic]
[pic]http://photos.fotango.com/p/eba00500571f00000029.jpg[/pic]
[pic]http://photos.fotango.com/p/eba00500571f00000030.jpg[/pic]
rude girl said:
Wouldn't mind a bit of advice and feedback please, but can you keep it fairly simple for me please?
Can't find anything much wrong with them, actually - must be losing my grip!
rude girl said:
One thing I noticed (more particularly in some of the shots I didn't post) is that I'm very often not focusing on the right point. I'll work on that.
I think some AF systems can get too complicated for their own good. I keep mine set to the middle sensor, If I want to take a photo where the subject is not in the centre, I aim the camera directly at it, half depress the shutter release (which locks focus and exposure), then reframe and take the shot. It's very quick and easy to do, and beats poking about in menus, but which time the subject has got bored and gone home.
rude girl said:
and will sort out another hosting site when I get back from hols.
Good idea - seems like Fotango butchers anything you give it, but yours have survived being 'fotangoed' better than many. Another host will hopefully let you post pix at the 'PH spec' of 750 pixels wide.
rude girl said:
One thing I noticed (more particularly in some of the shots I didn't post) is that I'm very often not focusing on the right point. I'll work on that.
I think some AF systems can get too complicated for their own good. I keep mine set to the middle sensor, If I want to take a photo where the subject is not in the centre, I aim the camera directly at it, half depress the shutter release (which locks focus and exposure), then reframe and take the shot. It's very quick and easy to do, and beats poking about in menus, but which time the subject has got bored and gone home.
[/quote]
Must admit I seem to have that issue... hadn't realised that you could still get away with reframing as per Simpo's suggestion... will try that in the future. Seem like pretty sharp pics to me...
Thanks Simpo, that's really helpful, and that's exactly what I want to do with the autofocusing. You're absolutely right, I find there's so much going on and the autofocus lights are all over the place that I just end up hoping for the best half the time.
It's a shame because the parents were bringing weed up from the floor of the canal and throwing it back so that it laid at the base of their necks, and the kids were feeding from there. All of those are nicely focused on a branch on the other side of the canal
Anyway, this is a crop from the last one, and I hope you can see the beads of water on the swan's head and neck. They are such beautiful creatures. Sadly someone told us that kids down there have been shooting them with air rifles.
It's a shame because the parents were bringing weed up from the floor of the canal and throwing it back so that it laid at the base of their necks, and the kids were feeding from there. All of those are nicely focused on a branch on the other side of the canal
Anyway, this is a crop from the last one, and I hope you can see the beads of water on the swan's head and neck. They are such beautiful creatures. Sadly someone told us that kids down there have been shooting them with air rifles.
Podie said:Nah, she's far to busy to be shoo-ing away kids with air-rifles.
Sadly someone told us that kids down there have been shooting them with air rifles.
Aren't they (swans) protected by the Queen...?
All swans are owned by the Queen, however, and I believe it is illegal to kill them (i.e. only she can when she's hungry or whatever)
Another trick is to use the AF to focus at a particular distance, then turn it off. Then, when the target gets to Point X, you just press the button and get the shot, without the AF whizzing about getting it wrong. That's particularly useful in low light, where it can be hard for the AF to get a lock, or where the target lacks detail (AF can't handle featureless surfaces out of range of the assist light).
Which remonds me of the hardest thing I ever tried to photograph, Robot Wars - dim lighting, smoke, poor angles and robots darting unpredictably all over the place. Naturally on the two occasions when one got thrown out of the ring, I missed it... this is about the best:
Thanks mostly to the Sigma 70-200 f2.8 though - the 70-300 'ordinary' lens would never have done it.
Which remonds me of the hardest thing I ever tried to photograph, Robot Wars - dim lighting, smoke, poor angles and robots darting unpredictably all over the place. Naturally on the two occasions when one got thrown out of the ring, I missed it... this is about the best:
Thanks mostly to the Sigma 70-200 f2.8 though - the 70-300 'ordinary' lens would never have done it.
LexSport said:
Love the first one! The only comment I'd make about the others is that the photograph appears to be taken from above the subject. I seem to remember reading that it's better to try to get down to their level.
That's made me laugh, because while I was shooting, I was thinking about all the guidelines people have given, and that one in particular. I was on the canalbank, and laid on my stomach (another PHer who was with me took some particularly unflattering shots of my ar$e while I was doing it, which I'm hoping will not appear here 
). I'll admit that I wimped out and didn't get down low for the ones with the chicks on the bank, because their mum got a bit hissy and agitated every time someone walked a dog past, and I wanted to be ready to leg it! 
So how does all this responsibility feel, knowing that every time I take a photo, I've got the collected wisdom of PH echoing through my head?
Hmmm, difficult decision... post the pics or lose the lessons? 
PH Classifieds. For Sale due to unforseen circumstances, 350D........ 
Hi Rude girl
Some realy nice photoghraphs there. I particularly like the first one and the last swan you posted.
can i pass on something that i heard a while ago. When you see a photoghraphic oportunity try and figure out what it was that struck you about that picture in the first place. If necassery take a few steps back ( litterelly ) and try to recapture that particular motivation.
Was it the way the light fell on the object, or a particular angle?, or maybe a colour.
Whatever it was, try to emphasize it.
Often i will be out walking and suddenly stop!, retrace my steps and do a sort of deformed yoga move trying to figure out what it was about something that caught my eye. People in the street must think i'm mad
Good work though
Some realy nice photoghraphs there. I particularly like the first one and the last swan you posted.
can i pass on something that i heard a while ago. When you see a photoghraphic oportunity try and figure out what it was that struck you about that picture in the first place. If necassery take a few steps back ( litterelly ) and try to recapture that particular motivation.
Was it the way the light fell on the object, or a particular angle?, or maybe a colour.
Whatever it was, try to emphasize it.
Often i will be out walking and suddenly stop!, retrace my steps and do a sort of deformed yoga move trying to figure out what it was about something that caught my eye. People in the street must think i'm mad
Good work though
Gassing Station | Photography & Video | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff