A Smelly Situation: 100-400 II Versatility/Just a Start… « Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

A Smelly Situation: 100-400 II Versatility/Just a Start...

Stuff

Monday was packing and travel day. I left before lunch and made it to the motel in St. Augustine just after 3pm. The 4 hour drive went by very quickly. I met my small group for a brief orientation and then headed to the Alligator Farm where conditions are looking quite excellent.

This blog post, the 117th in a row, took about 1 1/2 hours to prepare. It is scheduled to be published automatically at 1am on Tuesday morning. Tomorrow is the first full day of the IPT.


black-vulture-bw-high-structure-smoth-on-american-alligator-carcass-_36a3056-indian-lake-estates-fl

This image was created at Indian Lake Estates on Sunday morning with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 124mm) and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/400 sec. at f/5.6 was still a significant underexposure of at least 1/2 stop, that despite blinkies on the water at 1/320 sec at f/5.6…. AWB. SHADE would have been a lot better.

One AF point above and two to the left of the center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The active AF point was on the vulture’s right foot conveniently on the same plane as the eye.

Black Vulture on rotting American Alligator carcass/NIK Silver Efex Pro High Structure Smooth B&W

I had been seeing a big group of Black Vultures every day in the same spot by the dead end corner of a canal. I drove up slowly to find out what the attraction was. I smelled it before I saw it, the bloated, rotting carcass of about a six foot gator. At first I tried working from the car but that did not work out well. When I got out, most of the vultures flew the coop. But the one on the gator was very much at peace with me and I was able to maneuver for the best backgrounds as long as I moved slowly. From the moment I started working the scene I knew that there was a really good black and white image there for the taking.

The funny thing is that when this or that vulture jumped onto the gator to join my friend the floating carcass would change position. I could not have placed the gator in a better spot myself….

After converting the image in DPP 4 at K 8200, I brought it into Photoshop and did some extensive cleanup of the surface of the water. Then my NIK 50-50 recipe at about 60% opacity. I saved a color version (below) and then went to NIK Silver Efex Pro and tried all of my favorites. High Structure Smooth was the winner by miles.


black-vulture-on-american-alligator-carcass-_36a3056-indian-lake-estates-fl

This image was created at Indian Lake Estates on Sunday morning with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 124mm) and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/400 sec. at f/5.6 was still a significant underexposure of at least 1/2 stop, that despite blinkies on the water at 1/320 sec at f/5.6…. AWB should have been SHADE.

One AF point above and two to the left of the center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The active AF point was on the vulture’s right foot conveniently on the same plane as the eye.

Black Vulture on rotting American Alligator carcass

VULTURES AS ART?

Which version do you like best, color or B&W? Please let us know why.

Image Question

Do you see a reason to start from scratch and re-convert this image?


nickersonbeach-carda

The strange thing is that when I lived in New York, I never knew about this amazing and consistently productive location.

Nickerson Beach/JBWR (possibly…)/Black Skimmer/Oystercatcher/migrant shorebird IPT: August 13-16, 2015. 3 1/2 DAYS: $1399.

Meet and greet on the evening of WED August 12. Limit 10/Openings 5.

Most of our seven photo sessions will be spent at Nickerson beach photographing the nesting Black Skimmers. In flight, sometimes battling. Carrying fish. Chicks of varying sizes from a very few just-hatched to lots of fledglings. It is likely that we will get to see some Great Black-backed Gulls preying on the juvenile skimmers. They swallow them whole. There will be lots of gulls to photograph as well as some Common Terns. Locally breeding shorebird species include American Oystercatcher–pretty much guaranteed, Willet, which is likely, and Piping Plover, which is probable but we need to get lucky with those to get close….

Save a space by calling Jim or Jen at the office and arranging to leave your deposit of $499. I hope to see you there.


nickerson-beach-card-c

JBWR?

If local conditions are ideal we may visit Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge to photograph southbound migrant shorebirds on one or possibly two mornings. Even if we do not visit JBWR we should get some good chances with the migrant shorebirds at the beach, especially Sanderling and Semipalmated Plover. Red Knot and others are possible.


nickerson-beach-card-b

As you can see, the oystercatchers are quite tame at Nickerson. And we will get you up early and we will stay out late.

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge In-the-field Instructional Photo Workshop/Scouting Session. August 12, 2015. Morning only: $250. Cheap!

The tide will be pretty good at the East Pond…. If I learn that conditions there are un-photographable we will do Nickerson Beach as a back-up. This will work either as an add-on for out of town folks coming for the IPT above or as a stand alone session. Either way, you will, as always, learn a ton. And we might even get some good images.

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16 comments to A Smelly Situation: 100-400 II Versatility/Just a Start…

  • I love this image. I like the color version but with the color cast removed from the bird. Really cool. I saw it on my phone and it didn’t seem as powerful.

  • avatar Kathy Graff

    I like them both. The B&W image is more about texture and symmetry, while the Color image is environmental, naturalistic, more of a nature photo.

  • avatar Chris Mastino

    As a person who loves black and white its strange to me that the color version so solidly gets my vote. There appears to be greater depth or presence in the color one, as well as a more sinister overall look. I think the faint color in the color shot gives the alligator a cold dead / bloated feel and the vulture a more menacing appearance. For my two cents I feel that color version helps capture both the story and an image. The black and while captures solidly the image but maybe a bit less story. Both are powerful images.

  • avatar Deirdre Sheerr-Gross

    After having read all the B&W votes…

    I wanted to add why the “color” got my vote..

    I think, ….The Story is the dead decaying alligator,
    and Photographically, the most compelling part of this photo is the incredible reflection.. Awesome!

    In the B&W, my eye was first drawn to the dark vulture (Ones eye is drawn to the darkest /lightest part of a photo first, ..Artie Fact#358)..
    ..and then, I took it all in.. and appreciated the great image that it is… But the vulture gets best supporting actor to the gator and the reflection…. (I might add, this all happened in a milli-second..)

    But when I looked at #2… BANG!! The blush of the putrid yellow scales (thanks to your high K, or ShadeWB)
    ….brought my eye immediately to the water line and down into it … …into the rotting bloated alligator
    …and this striking reflection, meticulously mirroring the gruesome reality above…

    It doesn’t hurt that the this jaundiced yellowing is subtly repeated in the tip of the Vulture’s bill,
    …and there are hints of it along the decaying body.…

    Outstanding!

  • avatar Warren Robb

    While I almost always prefer color, this is one of those rare instances where black and white works better for me. The balance of your composition is exceptional. Another great one Artie!

    Warren

  • avatar Deirdre Sheerr-Gross

    “Color” …which, for me, is really a B&W ….with a blush of reality…

    Love it Artie… I think this is a winner!

  • avatar Jerry Turner

    Either way, it is an awesome image!!!!

  • avatar Matteo Bianchi

    Personally, I prefer the black and white version. Because of the absence of other colors, the attention of the viewer is immediately captured by the reflection on the water, and the simmetry of the scene. In my opinion the scene is more dramatic, and there is more emphasis on the situation portrayed by the picture.

  • avatar Craig Wesson

    Morning Artie.
    Back to work after a great Florida IPT.
    For me I love the color version of this photograph for two reasons. One being the vultures
    Head looks better and two the slight color below the birds feet ties the photo
    All together for me anyways.
    Cheers
    Craig

  • avatar Maggi Fuller

    Not sure…. The head of the vulture is much clearer in the original colour image, in the B & W it is a bit messy. Apart from that, the rest of the composition is nicer in B & W.

  • avatar Naveena

    Hi Artie,

    B/W is my preference. In this particular image, I feel B/W natural choice since you have contrasting colours to start with. First thing came to my mind when I saw this image was, what if I rotate the image by 180 degree. I just rotated my laptop by 180 degree and liked that effect too… 🙂

  • avatar Ruth Schueler

    Sensational! Perfection…..thanks!

  • avatar Bill Coatney

    Black and white image is my preference.
    The image grabbed me with its simple eloquence.
    A photographic haiku.

  • avatar David Peake

    Why do you suggest that cloudy white balance would be better?

  • avatar David Peake

    Hi Artie,
    I like the b+ w treatment best.. The colour seems too washed out and bland in image two for me
    Ironic that your home patch yields up an alligator image, just as you head off to st Augustine alligator farm.
    A very stark image.
    Love the reflection. It held me for a very long look.
    As always.
    Regards
    D

  • avatar Gary Axten

    Every now & then when I open a blog post I get a wow moment, this is one of those pictures.

    I often think B&W is used as a gimmick nowadays and the colour image is very powerful already; the colours are muted & it is a stunning composition. However, in this case I prefer the B&W, possibly for the eradication of the yellow on the carcass or maybe because in the colour image the lower part of the picture seems darker, I don’t think it is darker but more colour means it seems that way & my eyes naturally expect more blue to be up rather than down. Or maybe the B&W just removes the distractions from the powerful subject.