Something From Nothing? « Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Something From Nothing?

The images in the animated GIF above were created at Nickerson Beach, Long Island, NY with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/500 sec. at f/25 in Manual mode. Central Sensor/Rear Focus AI Servo AF and re-compose. Read on to learn about rear focus.

Lens/TC/Camera Body Micro-Adjustment: 0.

Something From Nothing?

It was a slow morning. Not much around. Partly sunny. Would you keep image A above? Why or why not? Would you keep image B? Why or why not? BTW, I am not sure not sure why I was at ISO 800 and f/25….

Be sure to check back tomorrow evening for the answers.

Shopper’s Guide

Below is a list of the gear used to create the images in today’s blog post. 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.

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Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens. Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
Canon 1.4X III Teleconverter. 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 🙂
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.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine.

12 comments to Something From Nothing?

  • avatar Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

    Please see my comments here. artie

  • avatar Bill Richardson

    I would keep B but increase the contrast to full silhouette for the birds, remove the sandpiper under the gull, remove the cut off birds and boost saturation. May add a vignette too.

  • I look forward to seeing your repost of this tonight.

  • avatar Andy

    It’s comforting to hear that even you sometimes don’t know why you were at a particular ISO or f stop:) I’d like these images more if the birds were silhouettes. I’d rather have no detail in the birds than the little bit in these images. I don’t like the washed-out look.

    I do not like the washed out look either. See you tonight! artie

  • avatar Meryl Lorenzo

    I’d keep B (if any). It looks a little cleaner and it shows the difference in size between the birds.

  • avatar yogesh

    I would go with Image B due to positioing of sandpipers as due to that angle attension goes to gull…

  • I think I’d keep B and increase the contrast for a silhouette with an interesting arrangement 🙂

  • avatar Charlie Young

    I don’t care much for either photo. High key-yes. Both photos look washed out.

    Hi key, not really. Washed out, yes, but properly exposed. But this is digital not film. See you here tonight. artie

  • avatar Jamie Douglas

    If the decision is made on head angle then A but like David said the position of the sandpipers in B is better.

  • How about keeping the gull from A and placing it in the same spot in the B image? That would remove the bird hiding the gulls foot. Then remove the tails of birds from the right in B

  • avatar Myer Bornstein

    I ike B for the repositioning cleans up the image

  • I prefer the HA of the gull in A, but prefer the positioning of the sandpipers (?) in B. Regardless, I suspect you’re going to blow us away with an optimized image. 🙂