I Shot Some Geese...

[Steve Robinson]

...to test my new to me Sigma 100-300 f/4 on the old 1D Mk II N. I think it's a keeper.

Steve Robinson - Three Point Landing

Steve Robinson - Gangway! Here I Come!

Steve Robinson - One, Two, Threeee!
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[Asher Kelman]

Steve Robinson - One, Two, Threeee!
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Steve,

I'm impressed. Could you give us a 100 % cut out of the head and below to cover the leading wind edges below?

Thanks,

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

...to test my new to me Sigma 100-300 f/4 on the old 1D Mk II N. I think it's a keeper.

And, BTW, what's the f stop used and how snappy is the focus? Is this a push-pull air sucking lens or does the barrel rotate?

Asher

 

[Don Cohen]

Nice series of captures, Steve.

The 3rd to me is the strongest image, and would suggest a little tighter cropping, removing water from the top/bottom and right side. This would bring more attention to what counts, and emphasize the nice trail of splashes that really captures the action.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Steve Robinson: One, Two, Threeee!
​

Nice series of captures, Steve.

The 3rd to me is the strongest image, and would suggest a little tighter cropping, removing water from the top/bottom and right side. This would bring more attention to what counts, and emphasize the nice trail of splashes that really captures the action.

Don,

I think you're right. But why is it so much stronger. Perhaps because there's more mystery here. It's going forward on a journey somewhere and we do not know what fate has in store for it. With the others, the action is complete on successfully landing, and there's nothing more to learn! That's my philosophical point of view.

But then the this picture is also more obviously elegant. So there are easier reasons for you liking it!

Asher

 

[Steve Robinson]

Thanks Asher and Don for your comments. Asher, the lens seems to focus very quickly and is silent. Also, once focused it stays locked on. The Sigma uses a ring focus motor like Canon's USM. The zoom is by a ring and not a push-pull like the Canon 'dust pump.' I shot this at 1/1000 @ f/8 and ISO 200, but I had to compensate for the harsh noon sun in PP.

Here's a very close crop of the goose.

Don, I appreciate your suggestion. In the original I wanted to show the splashes and yet give the goose some room to fly into. I have redone the crop to eliminate some of the extra space on the top and to the right. I think it may be better than the original without losing Asher's 'mystery.'

1, 2, 3 Recropped.

 

[Don Cohen]

Cropping in an image like this seems to benefit from ignoring the usual 'rules' of composition. Ordinarily, you do want to have 'space' for the bird to fly into, but in a case like this, the story is told by the trail of splashes behind it, and that's where you want the observer's eyes to be drawn. So (to my eye, anyway), there's less need to have any space in front of the bird.

Your final re-crop looks better to me; you might still be able to take some off the bottom.

 

[Steve Robinson]

Hi Don and thanks. I too wondered about the space on the bottom. I like staying with a 3:2 format but I can see where I could be more flexible here as the interest is much more horizontal.