Cormorant Take Off

[oldcanon]

Another "What do you think" shot I grabbed on the Thames yesterday.

A somewhat dour and damp day we were sat on a river boat upstream from Windsor when I spotted this Cormarnat preparing to take off.

I managed to bang off about 5 shots of which this was the culmination as it just lifted into the air. Even with ISO 400 I was only able to get 1/320th sec so very little of the bird is sharp and yet the image appealed to me as it gives a great sense of speed and urgency.

Does it work for you?

(As an aside, this stretch of the river was alive with Crested Grebe, I've never seen so many in one place)

[briansquibb]

Re: Cormorant Take Off

I think if the head had been sharp it would have worked for me

This was an occasion where a slightly grainy ISO1600 would have improved things (although it is defficult to predict when it is needed)

[colin C]

Re: Cormorant Take Off

A stunning shot .................. if the head was sharp!

I am with Brian on this one. A bit of digital noise at higher ISO's is much better than shots that aren't sharp.

Colin

[oldcanon]

Re: Cormorant Take Off

thanks guys, think you may be right, shame there wasn't time to up the ISO (or attach my flash) - sometimes you just have to grab what is there (hmmm - thinks, maybe I can break a lifetime's aversion to "Digital Cheating" and graft on a sharp head ? )

[briansquibb]

Re: Cormorant Take Off

I suspect high speed flash would not have been powerfull enough at this distance (unless you had a multi speedlight head on )

[Stan]

Re: Cormorant Take Off

Excellent action but as others have said "if only". At least you can see the eye, I have tried many flight shots of them over Brownsea but never manage to get the eye

Stan

[oldcanon]

Re: Cormorant Take Off

I suspect high speed flash would not have been powerfull enough at this distance (unless you had a multi speedlight head on )

multi-head flash - no, I was thinking of putting more magnesium powder in the flash trough! :tongue:

[Muscat]

Re: Cormorant Take Off

I was thinking of putting more magnesium powder in the flash trough! :tongue:

Been there done that and nearly got arrested by the Police who thought a bomb had gone off

[Woolley]

Re: Cormorant Take Off

It's not a great shot, but it's certainly exciting - looks like it's having a fairly dramatic crash landing!

[SamFisher]

Re: Cormorant Take Off

Agree with all thats been said.
I have many "if only" shots.

Thankfully, upping the ISO isn't such a big deal nowadays on modern cameras.
I quite often shoot at 3200 on my 5D2 with clean(ish) results.
I tried 1600 on my 1D3 but they were a tad noisy but not too bad when put through NR in LR3

Mike