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  • Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!

Swallows yesterday.

Jaime Johnson

New member
It was cold here yesterday. Small birds were just trying to stay warm!

042008-Swallow-06y.jpg
 

John Sheehy

New member
It was cold here yesterday. Small birds were just trying to stay warm!

Nice. I never seem to find swallows hunkered down like that; they usually look like they're about to fly when I find them perched.

On the negative, the eye areas are a bit dark. You might want to pull them up a little.

Sometimes I wish that I could have a big white sheet behind me for a very soft, and very weak fill flash. Even dialed down to -2, the FEC with a better beamer can still look artificial in some situations. If I ever become wealthy, I can hire people to walk behind me with a big sheet, and wireless flash.
 
Nice shot, Jaime. Cute little birds, captured in an unusual pose.

I agree with John about the eyes, and some fill-flash would have helped.

Even dialed down to -2, the FEC with a better beamer can still look artificial in some situations.

I agree completely. I now use 2 Wimberley extenders to decrease the distance from lens axis to flash, and even then get some funky, unwelcome light reflexes. Not true red-eye, but more of a dull gray crescent-shape that I really don't like.
 

Jaime Johnson

New member
Thanks forthe comments -

It was really warm here for a week or so, and then it got really cold (-4).

I worried that the birds were not going to make it. It was really unusual to see the swallows all fluffed out together. There was a group of about 15 all fluffed together!

I'll try my hand at photoshopping the eyes a bit and repost!
 

Vivek Khanzode

New member
Some unique swallow shots there. I have never seen them cuddled up, but then it is never really cold here either.

Talking of swallows, here is a photo of Barn swallows taken at Palo Alto Baylands park earlier this month

2390594365_9d469d443a_b.jpg
 
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Mike Spinak

pro member
Nice shots, Jaime and Lisa.

Sometimes I wish that I could have a big white sheet behind me for a very soft, and very weak fill flash. Even dialed down to -2, the FEC with a better beamer can still look artificial in some situations. If I ever become wealthy, I can hire people to walk behind me with a big sheet, and wireless flash.

John,

Have you tried taking off the better beamer and putting on a diffuser? Sometimes artificial looking lighting is hard to avoid, but doing this could do the trick. If not, try using the flash waaaayyy off camera, as a slave flash.
 
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