Capture The Moment

Bird photography by Keith Reeder

Marden Quarry

Posted on 29 March 2009, 19:41

Even though my hoped-for BIF opportunities failed to present themselves (I really want some good flying waterfowl!), the ever-obliging Coots, gulls, geese made up for it, and – wonders never cease! – I even got a half-decent Magpie at last..!

Canada geese
 
Coot
 
Herring gull
 
Domestic goose

A nice exposure compensation/highlight recovery test!

The unprocessed original is here. If nothing else, this is a good example of how – thanks to the excellent highlight recovery abilities of many RAW converters these days (this was converted in Capture One) – ETTR can be a smart and safe way¹ to maximise IQ and keep noise under control…
 

Magpie
 

Coot
 

Coot

¹ The whites on some of these are a bit hot, but it was a sunny day, and I was trying some different exposure techniques – to varying degrees of success..!

What do you think?

1. Vince Cowell wrote on 9 April, 06:10 PM:

   I especially like the Coot on the water Keith.

   I have found that Coots are really difficult to expose correctly. You have got this one spot on.
   
   Vince

   
   
   

   ---

2. Keith Reeder wrote on 9 April, 07:19 PM:

   Thanks Vince.

   I don’t think there’s any real secret to getting Coots right or thereabouts.

   Using the Canon 40D (I imagine most cameras will be much the same – although the 40D’s dynamic range is pretty good) I routinely leave the EC at +0.3, or bring it down to 0 if it’s very sunny, use Evaluative metering, and fire away.

   I’m confident that there’ll be enough detail available in the whites shooting this way that a little bit of deft highlight “recovery” work at conversion will give me reasonable results.

   I don’t often bin images because of stuffed-up exposure, anyway…

   
   
   

   ---