Cuthbert Posted June 13, 2015 Share #1  Posted June 13, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) As I wrote in another thread in the park close to where I like a couple of swans had a chick and they are raising him.  I have never been a wildlife photographer being raised as a city kid, but due to the lack of interesting human targets I started to stalk these three guys, here there are some shots I'd like to share, if anybody has some criticism that would be welcome as I'm now in this kind of photography.     These shots aren't that great because my lens wasn't long enough, but it appears to me that the male is building a sort of lair with the material he finds around.   Seen by close range they look like Lochness monsters...   I prefer these shots counterlight:     This is my favourite one:   And what's your opinion? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 13, 2015 Posted June 13, 2015 Hi Cuthbert, Take a look here Stalking a family of swans. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Hunebed Posted June 13, 2015 Share #2 Â Posted June 13, 2015 The last one indeed. With the shadows and the mimicing in stances. Beautiful. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauledell Posted June 14, 2015 Share #3  Posted June 14, 2015 A fine series. My favorites are No.6 and No.9. for the composition.  Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuny Posted June 14, 2015 Share #4 Â Posted June 14, 2015 You're already improving, by getting closer. Â 4 & 5 would be stronger if you treat them like portraits and have more space in front of them than space behind them. Â I suggest you crop them that way. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuthbert Posted June 14, 2015 Author Share #5 Â Posted June 14, 2015 You're already improving, by getting closer. Â 4 & 5 would be stronger if you treat them like portraits and have more space in front of them than space behind them. Â I suggest you crop them that way. Â It's not that I'm getting closer, I used a longer lens because the guys are in the middle of the river. I assume I would be needing an even longer lens but in as Cartier Bresson said I think that composition should be done in the viewfinder and not in the darkroom...or in pp for the matter. Â Unfortunately with a rangefinder I don't think it's feasible to use anything longer than 135 mm because the image in the viewfinder would become too small to understand what you're doing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northwest Wanderer Posted June 14, 2015 Share #6 Â Posted June 14, 2015 One thing with wildlife photography is to always respect the animal and never get too close. Think about following Stuarts advice about cropping the images. It would have the same effect as added magnification. As you have already learned, patience is key in this type of photography. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Taylor Posted June 14, 2015 Share #7 Â Posted June 14, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) Like # 6Â Hank Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuthbert Posted June 14, 2015 Author Share #8 Â Posted June 14, 2015 New roll: Â Â So this is the infamous starbust effect? I thought it was obtained with a special filter. Â While one (I think the mother) and the chick is down: Â Â Â Â The other one is patrolling on the top. Â Â Â This is a special guest: an airon who stays still for hours close to that point of the channel, waiting for some fish I assume. Â Â I call this place the island of the geese: four adults and two chicks resting in a small island on the river under the trees, unfortunately the cassette has been damaged and some leaks happened, I thought it would have been a cool pic. Â Â One thing with wildlife photography is to always respect the animal and never get too close. Think about following Stuarts advice about cropping the images. It would have the same effect as added magnification. As you have already learned, patience is key in this type of photography. Â Â Patience and a long zoom, I assume. They suggested something in the 100-300 mm range, has Leica even made a Vario-Elmar of that size? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iduna Posted June 17, 2015 Share #9  Posted June 17, 2015 Cuthbert, thanks for letting us have a look at the progress of this type of photography. The last one of the first series is excellent. The second series is much better under the aspect of composition and light. Delightful when copmposition and light are in great harmony like in no 1-2-4-6. The egret in no 6 is excellent with light and shadow patterns. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuthbert Posted June 17, 2015 Author Share #10  Posted June 17, 2015 Cuthbert, thanks for letting us have a look at the progress of this type of photography. The last one of the first series is excellent. The second series is much better under the aspect of composition and light. Delightful when copmposition and light are in great harmony like in no 1-2-4-6. The egret in no 6 is excellent with light and shadow patterns.  Thank you very much for the fine criticism to my pics, I can't control the light and I was lucky to find that in the afternoon after work I find these favorable light conditions, I also learned that white targets like swans look much better counterlight : number 3 is not that great in comparison to no.6 of the previous series.  I need to get the same pics in colour very soon, that means when I have some time, light and Portra at hand, BTW I keep on shooting XP2 and I start to become bored from this film, I want to experiment something new. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iduna Posted June 17, 2015 Share #11 Â Posted June 17, 2015 Cuthbert, Â thanks for your interesting response. Keep going experimenting. Water is difficult and a white object then on it is extremely challenging. Not to loose any highlights one will have to decide whether to underexpose the water in favour of other advantages. Colour will be gone anyway in this kind of lighting, so bW is the best option. Toning is a matter of experience and liking, so experiments are necessary. Keep going and please share coming results. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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