Vultures...

Vultures... · 08:24 PM

Went looking for birds today (inspired by Marc's photos), and found some... turkey vultures.

All manually focused with the BIGMA at 500mm f/8. Bigma was on a tripod with loose tension for easy tracking (and my 9 mo. old was on my back in a pack). All are cropped, none less than 1800px. wide.

I see you...

exif

Short final...

exif

Igilligan · 11-04-2008, 08:47 PM

He has his eye on your son!

Actually your son as counter balance really seems to have helped stablize the bigma weight

The first is spot on...

heliphoto · 11-05-2008, 09:32 AM

Thanks Gus. I did a bit of touch up on the first in PS (clone work on the eye - it showed a bit of motion blur), and USM, but I did get lucky with that shot. Looking at it now, I'd say the "clarity" slider in lightroom (local contrast enhancement) was turned up too high, as I can see a light sky halo around the bird.

reeftool · 11-05-2008, 10:43 AM

Beautiful shots of a bird many don't bother take pictures of.

slowpez · 11-05-2008, 10:45 AM

I too like the first one. Great shots of the garbageman of the bird world.

Igilligan · 11-05-2008, 11:21 AM

Originally posted by slowpez

I too like the first one. Great shots of the garbageman of the bird world.

Slow Pez... The Vulture is the King of the recyclers... It is those darn pigeons and seagulls that are the Garbage Collectors. Or 'winged sanitation engineers' as they liked to be called

roentarre · 11-05-2008, 01:38 PM

Wow, spot on. Great shots. Just a little whie halo from curve in the first shot. You might want to try highlight/shadow adjustment instead.

**Marc Langille** · 11-06-2008, 07:49 AM

Originally posted by heliphoto

Went looking for birds today (inspired by Marc's photos), and found some... turkey vultures.

I am inspiring Josh to photograph members of the "ugly club"... I dunno if that's a good thing or not...

Seriously, they are nice shots Josh - #1 and #3 are especially good BIF shots! More than a couple of times I've gotten sharp images, but a wingtip is missing...

What amazes me most about this species is their stunning plumage, and the "not-so-pretty" head - it's all business. Quite the symbiotic setup. Look forward to more posts!

Regards,
Marc

heliphoto · 11-06-2008, 01:48 PM

Originally posted by reeftool

Beautiful shots of a bird many don't bother take pictures of.

Thank you. I'd have preferred a more photogenic subject, but you've got to work with what you're given.

Originally posted by slowpez

I too like the first one. Great shots of the garbageman of the bird world.

Thanks.

Originally posted by roentarre

Wow, spot on. Great shots. Just a little whie halo from curve in the first shot. You might want to try highlight/shadow adjustment instead.

Thank you. I'm seeing that halo, and I'm in the middle of re-processing that shot to eliminate it.

Originally posted by Marc Langille

I am inspiring Josh to photograph members of the "ugly club"... I dunno if that's a good thing or not...

Seriously, they are nice shots Josh - #1 and #3 are especially good BIF shots! More than a couple of times I've gotten sharp images, but a wingtip is missing...

What amazes me most about this species is their stunning plumage, and the "not-so-pretty" head - it's all business. Quite the symbiotic setup. Look forward to more posts!

Regards,
Marc

Thanks Marc. You inspired me to go walk by a river / wetland area, but the wetlands weren't wet, and these guys were the only subjects around. I got a few of those wing missing shots...

These guys were moving pretty fast on the low passes they made.

gawan · 11-06-2008, 02:58 PM

Great images! I really like the series, where the last one in my favourite!

JMR · 11-06-2008, 03:25 PM

I think they are fairly good. Don't what it is about birds and planes against a blue sky, they sometimes look like they are pasted on to the sky.

JMR

heliphoto · 11-06-2008, 11:42 PM

Thank you Georg.

Originally posted by JMR

I think they are fairly good. Don't what it is about birds and planes against a blue sky, they sometimes look like they are pasted on to the sky.

JMR

It could be my processing (I still haven't fixed #1 BTW). Thanks for commenting. Blue sky is just so boring too.

There were clouds around to break up the blue sky, but I didn't get any very detailed bird shots against the more interesting sky... here's a couple silhouettes...

hooppjs · 11-07-2008, 12:15 AM

heliphoto,
I love the bird against the blue sky - simply awesome to me.

Peter

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11-04-2008, 08:47 PM	#2
Igilligan Guest	That first one is great... He has his eye on your son! Actually your son as counter balance really seems to have helped stablize the bigma weight The first is spot on...

11-06-2008, 01:48 PM	#9
heliphoto Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Region 5 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,539 Original Poster	Originally posted by reeftool Beautiful shots of a bird many don't bother take pictures of. Thank you. I'd have preferred a more photogenic subject, but you've got to work with what you're given. Originally posted by slowpez I too like the first one. Great shots of the garbageman of the bird world. Thanks. Originally posted by roentarre Wow, spot on. Great shots. Just a little whie halo from curve in the first shot. You might want to try highlight/shadow adjustment instead. Thank you. I'm seeing that halo, and I'm in the middle of re-processing that shot to eliminate it. Originally posted by Marc Langille I am inspiring Josh to photograph members of the "ugly club"... I dunno if that's a good thing or not... Seriously, they are nice shots Josh - #1 and #3 are especially good BIF shots! More than a couple of times I've gotten sharp images, but a wingtip is missing... What amazes me most about this species is their stunning plumage, and the "not-so-pretty" head - it's all business. Quite the symbiotic setup. Look forward to more posts! Regards, Marc Thanks Marc. You inspired me to go walk by a river / wetland area, but the wetlands weren't wet, and these guys were the only subjects around. I got a few of those wing missing shots... These guys were moving pretty fast on the low passes they made. Last edited by heliphoto; 11-06-2008 at 11:50 PM. Reason: grammer <--and now spelling!

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11-05-2008, 09:32 AM	#3
heliphoto Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Region 5 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,539 Original Poster	Thanks Gus. I did a bit of touch up on the first in PS (clone work on the eye - it showed a bit of motion blur), and USM, but I did get lucky with that shot. Looking at it now, I'd say the "clarity" slider in lightroom (local contrast enhancement) was turned up too high, as I can see a light sky halo around the bird.

11-05-2008, 10:43 AM	#4
reeftool Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate New York Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,553	Beautiful shots of a bird many don't bother take pictures of.

11-05-2008, 10:45 AM	#5
slowpez Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: South Carolina, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 18,462	I too like the first one. Great shots of the garbageman of the bird world.

11-05-2008, 11:21 AM	#6
Igilligan Guest	Originally posted by slowpez I too like the first one. Great shots of the garbageman of the bird world. Slow Pez... The Vulture is the King of the recyclers... It is those darn pigeons and seagulls that are the Garbage Collectors. Or 'winged sanitation engineers' as they liked to be called

11-05-2008, 01:38 PM	#7
roentarre Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 11,783	Wow, spot on. Great shots. Just a little whie halo from curve in the first shot. You might want to try highlight/shadow adjustment instead.

11-06-2008, 07:49 AM	#8
Marc Langille Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: NW Arkansas, USA Posts: 4,708	Originally posted by heliphoto Went looking for birds today (inspired by Marc's photos), and found some... turkey vultures. I am inspiring Josh to photograph members of the "ugly club"... I dunno if that's a good thing or not... Seriously, they are nice shots Josh - #1 and #3 are especially good BIF shots! More than a couple of times I've gotten sharp images, but a wingtip is missing... What amazes me most about this species is their stunning plumage, and the "not-so-pretty" head - it's all business. Quite the symbiotic setup. Look forward to more posts! Regards, Marc

11-06-2008, 02:58 PM	#10
gawan Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Helsinki Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,400	Great images! I really like the series, where the last one in my favourite!

11-06-2008, 03:25 PM	#11
JMR Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 3,332	I think they are fairly good. Don't what it is about birds and planes against a blue sky, they sometimes look like they are pasted on to the sky. JMR

11-06-2008, 11:42 PM	#12
heliphoto Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Region 5 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,539 Original Poster	Thank you Georg. Originally posted by JMR I think they are fairly good. Don't what it is about birds and planes against a blue sky, they sometimes look like they are pasted on to the sky. JMR It could be my processing (I still haven't fixed #1 BTW). Thanks for commenting. Blue sky is just so boring too. There were clouds around to break up the blue sky, but I didn't get any very detailed bird shots against the more interesting sky... here's a couple silhouettes...

11-07-2008, 12:15 AM	#13
hooppjs Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Sydney NSW Australia Posts: 307	heliphoto, I love the bird against the blue sky - simply awesome to me. Peter

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