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This image was created in Starr County, TX with the the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 160 sec. at f/11 in Av Mode. Lens/TC/Camera Body Micro-Adjustment: +10. |
For Your Critique: Image #5
We were driving to a bird-rich ranch on a clear still morning but we could not resist the endless fields of huge sunflowers… This image is presented for your critique; feel free to praise it or tear it to shreds. All suggestions are welcome. Would you keep it or delete it? Let us know why either way, what you like or what you hate. What would you have done differently? I love my 800 as a macro lens.
Over the course of the next three months or so, I will present fifteen additional images in this series for a total of twenty in all. The last will be followed by several revelations including two major ones.
Shopper’s Guide
Below is a list of the gear used to create the image above. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins. Before you purchase anything be sure to check out the advice in our Shopper’s Guide.
Support both the Bulletins and the Blog and earn free BAA contest entries by making all your B & H purchases here.
Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens. Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
Canon 1.4X III TC. This new TC is designed to work best with the new Series II super-telephoto lenses.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.
And from the BAA On-line Store:
LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders đŸ™‚
Gitzo GT3530LS Tripod. This one will last you a lifetime.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
CR-80 Replacement Foot for Canon 800. When using the 800 on a Mongoose as I do, replacing the lens foot with this accessory lets the lens sit like a dog whether pointed up or down and prevents wind-blown spinning of your lens on breezy days by centering the lens directly over the tripod.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
Be sure to check out our camera body User’s Guides here.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
Delkin 32gb e-Film Pro Compact Flash Card. These high capacity cards are fast and dependable. Clicking on the link below will bring you to the Delkin web site. There is lots of great stuff there. If you see a product that we do not carry let us know via e-mail; we will be glad to have it drop-shipped to you and save you a few bucks in the process.
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I pack my 800 and tons of other gear in my ThinkTank Airport SecurityTM V2.0 rolling bag for all of my air travel and recommend the slightly smaller Airport InternationalTM V2.0 for most folks. These high capacity bags are well constructed and protect my gear when I have to gate check it on short-hops and puddle jumpers. Each will protect your gear just as well. By clicking on either link or the logo below, you will receive a free gift with each order over $50.
I like the saturated color and exposure. For composition, I’d prefer the image to frame more of the petals extending around the bottom left corner of the flower to repeat the swirling motion of the center and stamens. Don’t know if it’s my aging eyes or monitor but no part of the image seems ‘Artie’ sharp to me.
This is fun and I learn something each time. Thanks.
Van Gogh:)
I like it. Not too sharp in detail but really reveals the beautiful patterns nature has that are often not seen on a casual glance.
If you intended it as a super colour hit, rather than as a piece of natural history, it works nicely, and composition is super. The limited depth of field does not help it otherwise.
This one doesn’t work for me at its present size and resolution, but I’d love to see a large full rez print.
I think it’s interesting. Because of how the 800mm lens compresses the flower (very little depth of field), it appears as though we’re looking through a microscope at a slice from some plant. I would keep it.
I don’t think it is sharp enough for my taste. Delete.
The composition is really nice and unique in having an important strip down the left side and with the center flower circle offset to the right. I like the 4 planes of equal interest—the flower center with the sort of 4 part twirls, the ring around that, a larger outer ring, then the strip of petals down the left. And all those 4 planes are in different shades of yellow/orange, This is eye-catching to me. I like it.
Definately a keeper. I’m wondering if the coloring is a little too “autumn gold” and not yellow enough, but I didn’t actually see the plant (in agreement with that part of Gerald Kelberg’s comment). The green behind the petals makes me think that it is the color of this sunflower.
Very cool image. The whole thing looks sharp to me. This would also look good rotated into a vertical with the petals either on top or bottom.
Something with the depth of field doesn’t sit right with me. I get dizzy looking at it and have tried moving away from the screen to see if viewing distance would help. That being said, love the color, clarity, and composition.
Looks like I’m the first one here, so here I go – both feet first…
The image doesn’t work for me. I like the composition with the centre of the flower and the cropped petals on one side; but it seems to me that the depth of field is so thin that the only sharp section is the relatively featureless area with the fine pollen grains. You have probably tamed the yellows down, but to me, I would expect them to be more vibrant in a sunflower.
Hope you are having great time in Katmai!
I think I would like the image more if it were zoomed back a bit, but I can see it as an art print in a room to bring out color. It doesn’t seem as clear as it could be also. I don’t hate it, but I personally might delete it. đŸ™‚