Barnes WWT Saturday

[oldcanon]

We had one of our old fogeys coach trips on Saturday, this time to the Barnes WT. The lighting was pretty grim (a bit like when Stan & Dee went I suspect) so I was working with the ISOs in the 1000+ range most of the time.
I wondered what you made of these few shots (from my 60D + 70-300LIS), a bit grainy in places but I've put them through LR4 beta and tried to process them to get the best from them

The first summarises more or less how the day went: (should it be called a "Cranebow" I wondered? )

[briansquibb]

Re: Barnes WWT Saturday

The 70-300L is working well still :)

PS Less of those punny jokes please

[colin C]

Re: Barnes WWT Saturday

For the lighting conditions Brian, every one a winner.

I have never got quite that close to a Heron. All of mine have been helped by big lenses.

Colin

[oldcanon]

Re: Barnes WWT Saturday

thanks Brian & Colin.
Colin, this was from the hide by the big lake and the Heron was close enough that I only had to crop by about 50% to get the image. (there was a chap there with a Nikon 600mm and I reckon he probably got some cracking images, but as he couldn't get his lens through the windows every shot was probably in letterbox format )

[Muscat]

Re: Barnes WWT Saturday

Very good especially considering the conditions

[Stan]

Re: Barnes WWT Saturday

The lighting was pretty grim (a bit like when Stan & Dee went I suspect)

No, when we last went to Barnes at New Year the light was great - you are thinking about Arundel last week
If the light was anything like we had yesterday at Weymouth, then you have done very much better than us = particularly like the LTT

Stan

[mikep]

Re: Barnes WWT Saturday

Very good shots from one of my most frequented bird venues!

They're all good, but #3 of the LTT is my favourite as I have a soft spot for them! #2 is superb... those colours, and the reflection too!

Thanks for posting. All the best, Mike.

[hhcanon]

Re: Barnes WWT Saturday

Lovely work - not going to pick a fave - like em all - well done

[oldcanon]

Re: Barnes WWT Saturday

thanks for the additional comments.

Stan, you know I get easily confused! At least it was a WWT you went to (how was Arundel looking? We are thinking of going soon)

I liked the LTT shot too although it was very under-exposed and noisy before I worked it.

I don't like working in those very dark and drear conditions. I ended up in Auto Iso Av mode to get anything worthwhile and always feel I've lost control of the camera at that point

[mikep]

Re: Barnes WWT Saturday

I ended up in Auto Iso Av mode ~ feel I've lost control of the camera at that point

My default state!

M

[David Stallard]

Re: Barnes WWT Saturday

#2 for me, lovely shot well handled

.DAVID.

[oldcanon]

Re: Barnes WWT Saturday

thanks David

[Stan]

Re: Barnes WWT Saturday

(how was Arundel looking? We are thinking of going soon)

As you know its much smaller than Barnes and Slimbridge and fewer hides. Plenty of ducks at the moment but little in the way of wild wildlife near enough for photos

Stan

[oldcanon]

Re: Barnes WWT Saturday

hmm - might leave Arundel for a bit then, thanks Stan

[M Stewart]

Re: Barnes WWT Saturday

As you know its much smaller than Barnes and Slimbridge and fewer hides. Plenty of ducks at the moment but little in the way of wild wildlife near enough for photos

Stan

Interesting comment.

I've been a member of the WWT for several years, and have visited Barnes, Martin Mere, Welney & Slimbridge several times and from each have returned with several images worth looking at again. My best shots have been at Welney where I've captured the swans returning in groups at sundown - a marvellous sight, but somewhat testing of ISO and lens aperture limitations!

Our visit to Arundel was very different, and all I can remember now is the ride on a boat through reed beds, where we saw nothing that I don't see locally on a public pond.

I wonder if Arundel is more of a nature reserve than a bird reserve?