I missed theme flight by a couple of weeks. Dang it!!!;-)
The herons are out a lot now at the lake. There are at least 3 of them, if not more. The other day I even came across a green heron (maybe a 1/3 of the size of the blue ones). They are used to people and let us get pretty close.
I was pleased to finally get a good shot of one flying low over the water. Usually they are flying away from me and I only get their backsides.
I've challenged myself to learn manual mode in the next two weeks before New York (I shoot in aperture priority mainly). Every time I attempt to use it, though, I get a white, washed out photo. Any pointers? What I mainly want to be able to do is change the exposure time so that I can take longer exposure day shots and show motion. Help!!
And this is way better large on black. You can see his little heron eye and more detail:).
Great capture. I like shooting in shutter priority though have done A too. I have enjoy trying all the shooting modes as well as manual to workout camera, but Just have fun.
@amandal - I'm probably not a good teacher because I've never had a formal lesson in my life. I'm self taught and pretty much go by instinct and of course trial n error. But capturing the chaos or what I see is the excitement and energy of the city, I could probably write a book about it. In short I'd say don't be overwhelmed by the mobs of people, traffic, bombardment of lights, sounds, smells etc. but embrace it. It's probably better if we talk when we meet up.
@michaelelliott Maybe I should try to learn shutter priority. Quick write the book and send me the cliff notes.;) I will not be overwhelmed...I will bask in it. Just wish I better knew what I was doing so I didn't have to waste time learning and could just shoot.
@amandal re your question...sounds like a great trip coming up...lots of new stuff for you to try out I'm sure! Mostly when I am doing static-movement shots my preference is to shoot on Av. I normally use an f/ of between 11 and 22 and quite often an ISO of 100 (but increase that if you are indoors and the light is poor). This normally gives me an exposure time of about 1/4 second which gives the movement - you need to have a fairly steady hand if you don't use a tripod. The key is about exposure timing - in really fast rush hour 1/8 second is often long enough, any slower and you end up with random feet and random heads floating in the shot as the body is moving too quick and becomes invisible! The best thing to do is to find yourself a static subject - look for people that are absorbed using their mobile phone or gawping at an indicator board stood in the hustle and bustle of life. If you shoot in Av, you can spin your f/ up and down to get a longer or shorter exposure - unless it's really dark I wouldn't shoot on auto ISO as it will overcompensate the timings too much and you'll more than often get no movement at all. Hope this helps, if you need any more info or help if this doesn't make sense, let me know!
@eyesmile Thanks so much for the fav, sweet lady. I was hesitant to post another heron shot so soon after the other, but this was too good to not post. I appreciate you!
@kareenking Aw, thank so much for that, Kareen. You are kind!
@rennes Not a duck. Glad you found mine. Do you think that the duck dads are killers? Did you read my post? Thanks so much for the fav, sweet lady!!
Wonderful capture and reflection - Fav. I had a 1:1 with a professional photographer last week and he told me to use Aperture priority if the subject is static and shutter priority if it is moving. I have only just got my DSLR so am learning a lot and experimenting. Enjoy your trip
Super duper. Fav. Love that reflection. I only ever shoot in manual, never got on with anything else which I see as a bit of a disadvantage cos I never get shots like this! xx
This is awesome - love the reflection. I only ever shoot in manual, mainly aperture priority (to control dof) but i do use shutter priority to capture movement. Fav by the way :)
What a fantastic shot, Amanda. How lucky to capture this beauty so clearly and this awesome reflection. Looks so cool large also with my 24" desktop. FAV Wish I could help you with your camera settings. I am still in auto. If it comes down to it, you may want to ask ME in NYC. So happy for you and cannot wait to read your stories on here and FB and see your photos.
@masosy It helps that they are rather slow. So pleased that I had the focus in the right place though and I was just in the right place to catch him. I was shooting him and walking and scared him off in front of me:). Score!
cool shot Amanda! while i agree with @sparkle 's suggestions... i do tend to shoot the sorts of scenes you are describing in manual mode... my camera has an indicator thing that tells me where i am in terms of exposure... which lets me set aperture and shutterspeed and limits the problem that occurs when the light changes all of a sudden, or the main focal point switches from dark to light or vice versa... where all of a sudden a shutterspeed of 1/10 becomes 1/3 and i don't manage to hold the camera steady enough... does that make sense?
great catch Amanda! i've been trying to get one flying too, but haven't gotten on this good yet. You have to be at a good angle, like yours, or the heron looks like it's laying on the water......that's what always happens to mine.
good luck with your shooting, just remember, if you are in M mode, zero out your light meter. Set your ISO where it needs to be and then you can adjust your shutter and aperture according to what you are shooting. NY will be a blast!
@paula365 Hey Paula, thanks so much for the pointers!! Really appreciate your great comments!
@northy It does. Thanks for the great info. So much to try out, if I can figure M out:). Thanks, kind lady!!
@taffy You are so sweet. Can't wait to see your crane photos. I was just in the right place at the right time with my camera cocked, aimed and ready to fire. I've tried a few times before and this was my best I ever got! It helped that it was an inlet where it flew in front of me rather than away. Thanks for the sweet words and fav!
@shannonshots I really love your kind comments, Peter. Thank you for them and for the fav!!
@pflaume Thanks so much for the fav, Miss Lisa. You are very sweet. Right place, right time and ready to shoot. Very grateful for that:).
@eyesmile You are so sweet, lady. Thank you so much!!
@snaggy Thanks so much, Kev. Really appreciate the kind words and fav.
@annethomson I was so very pleased to get both and to get the flying bird in focus. Thanks, sweet lady!
@darsphotos Thanks, lady. Really appreciate your super sweet words and fav. Glad to hear that this looked good on the big screen. Can't wait for my trip. Hope that I am feeling inspired while I am there.
@malc Thanks, Malc. Really appreciate your comments, camera methods and fav:)!
@psychographer I was so in the right place at the right time, only with my camera ready to go. I was walking around the lake stopping to shoot the heron. He was watching me and as I approached he swooped across rigjt in front of me. I took two shots and got this one:). Thanks for the sweet words and fav!
This is truly a fabulous shot, Amanda. You go to NYC and knock the socks off of others, you and your camera make a wonderful team. You will see what I never will and hope you have fun and take lots of photos.
Lovely BIF shot Amanda, so difficult to get. The ripply reflection is fabulous too. Fav. I only shoot in manual, and it is trial and error. When shooting a landscape i often bracket 3 shots and then choose one to process. Obviously this would be no good for long exposure or street shots. Don't forget your tripod for long exposure work, or find something to balance your camera on. I agree with @sparkle when it comes to movement shots, you do need someone and or something static to anchor the shot. I try to get them somewhere near a 3rds line or intersection, but it rarely works out that way. For movement shots like that try and get down low or up high. Shooting from the hip can work too. Am I waffling?
@seanoneill Waffler;-)...thank you so much for the fav and great/helpful comments. My tripod is semi broken. I finally did it in by snapping one of the leg clips. It works, but just is one level shorter than it should be. I guess I could/should bring it still. I was sorta hoping to bum someone else's every once in awhile, but that might be a pain. Can't wait to try shooting movement:). I'm going to a flea market this weekend and a butterfly show tomorrow where I can perhaps give it a whirl.
@darsphotos I don't think that I will knock those people's socks off. They are far better than I, but thanks for the vote of confidence. I hope to not appear a total novice.
@bardejov Love your comments and fav, my friend. Thank you. Hey lady, is your first name Bardejov? If not, do you share it?
Thanks all so much for your comments on this flying heron. I was so glad to be in the right place at the right time and ready to shoot. I've tried to get this shot a bunch of times before and it finally all came together here:).
I'd love to see a crop of this that is nothing but the reflection... I find myself so focused on the reflection that I haven't really paid much attention to the heron itself. There's something so beautiful about the reflection. Has an Asian vibe to it.
Wow, that's fantastic. I love herons, but am lucky to see them still, yet alone in flight. When they are flying, to me they look awkward and graceful at the same time.
@kareenking Aw, thank so much for that, Kareen. You are kind!
@rennes Not a duck. Glad you found mine. Do you think that the duck dads are killers? Did you read my post? Thanks so much for the fav, sweet lady!!
good luck with your shooting, just remember, if you are in M mode, zero out your light meter. Set your ISO where it needs to be and then you can adjust your shutter and aperture according to what you are shooting. NY will be a blast!
@northy It does. Thanks for the great info. So much to try out, if I can figure M out:). Thanks, kind lady!!
@taffy You are so sweet. Can't wait to see your crane photos. I was just in the right place at the right time with my camera cocked, aimed and ready to fire. I've tried a few times before and this was my best I ever got! It helped that it was an inlet where it flew in front of me rather than away. Thanks for the sweet words and fav!
@shannonshots I really love your kind comments, Peter. Thank you for them and for the fav!!
@pflaume Thanks so much for the fav, Miss Lisa. You are very sweet. Right place, right time and ready to shoot. Very grateful for that:).
@bristolrose Thanks so much, Kathryn!!:)
@hamble Thanks so much, Hamble.
@abhijit Thanks so much, Abhijit. Really appreciate the kind words and fav.
@nana2r Thanks so much, Miss Carren.
@tonydebont Really appreciate that, Tony!:)
@eyesmile You are so sweet, lady. Thank you so much!!
@snaggy Thanks so much, Kev. Really appreciate the kind words and fav.
@annethomson I was so very pleased to get both and to get the flying bird in focus. Thanks, sweet lady!
@darsphotos Thanks, lady. Really appreciate your super sweet words and fav. Glad to hear that this looked good on the big screen. Can't wait for my trip. Hope that I am feeling inspired while I am there.
@malc Thanks, Malc. Really appreciate your comments, camera methods and fav:)!
@psychographer I was so in the right place at the right time, only with my camera ready to go. I was walking around the lake stopping to shoot the heron. He was watching me and as I approached he swooped across rigjt in front of me. I took two shots and got this one:). Thanks for the sweet words and fav!
@seanoneill Waffler;-)...thank you so much for the fav and great/helpful comments. My tripod is semi broken. I finally did it in by snapping one of the leg clips. It works, but just is one level shorter than it should be. I guess I could/should bring it still. I was sorta hoping to bum someone else's every once in awhile, but that might be a pain. Can't wait to try shooting movement:). I'm going to a flea market this weekend and a butterfly show tomorrow where I can perhaps give it a whirl.
@darsphotos I don't think that I will knock those people's socks off. They are far better than I, but thanks for the vote of confidence. I hope to not appear a total novice.
@bardejov Love your comments and fav, my friend. Thank you. Hey lady, is your first name Bardejov? If not, do you share it?
@happysnap Thank you, kind Linda!
@fueast Thanks, lady. Right place, right time with the camera ready to go:).
@june Thanks so much, June!
@sjouk Thanks very much, sweet lady!!
@dh @wind_of_the_sothern_sea @nadaa @fullcircle @steampowered @katerinatina @barbsmith @edie
Thanks all so much for your comments on this flying heron. I was so glad to be in the right place at the right time and ready to shoot. I've tried to get this shot a bunch of times before and it finally all came together here:).
@jsw0109 I will try cropping, post and tag you, Jeff. Should I flip it or leave it upside down? I will see how both look, just getting your thoughts.
@kittikat Aw, thank you, Kitti. Really appreciate all of your kind comments, lady!