A simple demonstration of how the quality of light can affect our images.
1/400, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
When I arrived on Antelope Island early yesterday morning the sun was technically “up” but a layer of clouds hanging low over the mountains to the east kept me in shade for a few minutes. Even though the clear sky above me was relatively bright I had no direct sunlight at first.
It was under these lighting conditions that I took this shot of a Chukar on the north end of the island. It had rained during the night (notice the water drops on the grasses to the left) and this is obviously one very wet bird. I think it’s an interesting image to document the soaked Chukar and the wet conditions but I’m not particularly fond of the lighting.
1/640, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
But less than a minute later the sun had cleared the cloud layer over the mountains and bathed the scene in warm light. What a dramatic difference! I much prefer the lighting in the second image.
This image comparison is a good demonstration for me of why I usually end up deleting most (though not all) bird images taken on cloudy days. After being stuck in the house by inclement weather for days on end my cabin fever sometimes drives me into the field despite the conditions. My keeper rate on those days drops dramatically.
I’m not saying that we can’t get some very nice images on days like that. I often prefer shooting in cloudy conditions over photographing in harsh light at midday and some hard to expose subjects (black and white birds for example) can be exposed properly more easily in light filtered by clouds. But overall I much prefer direct, soft and warm light.
The views of others may differ and that’s just fine…
Ron
I like both for different reasons. I’m a fan of the first because it FEELS cold to me. And the second is very pretty. But I hope you will share more of the COLD ones. 😀
For this photo I like the warm light, mostly because I think of spring in warm green and yellow shades. If it were winter I would prefer blue tones to the photo.
The two images “feel” very different. I prefer the pinkish cast in the first image to the yellow cast in the second. The pink feels more intimate and less brash than the yellow to me. I especially like the colors it brings out at the apex of the eyestripe.
Pam, Warm light is definitely a taste that everyone doesn’t share. I appreciate your feedback.
Absolutely amazing but super shots nonetheless!
Charlotte
Thank you, Charlotte.
I am with you on the “let there be light” shot. The first image is “nice”; the second image is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!
That’s pretty much the way I see these images, Pat. I like the first one ok but it doesn’t hold a candle to the light in the second.
The first for me. I really like them both (of course) but the first is more to my taste. Interesting that Susan and Patty and I are together on this.
And how I love seeing the beagle boys again. Thank you.
“Interesting that Susan and Patty and I are together on this”
The three of you are quite the trio, EC!
Not surprising…”great minds think alike” and we are “The three mosquiteers”….
I’m totally with you. Som people with cameras today just don’t “get it”! They rarely think about light EVEN after being shown. Hey, I’ll take our little secret to the grave with me! Hahaha Linda
LOVE your work AND back stories!!
Linda, Literally every day I’m in the field I see someone shooting birds or wildlife from a bad light angle when a much better angle is available to them. Leaves me scratching my head (which might be part of the reason I have so little hair up there!)
Very interesting comparison. I actually prefer the first image. It feels moodier, and the bird seems to have a bit of a spotlight on it’s face à la the old black and white trick they used to do for leading ladies. Drama! I guess what it comes down to Ron, is that you pretty much don’t seem to take a bad image ever. The rest is just a matter of taste, and you have fans on both sides!
“you pretty much don’t seem to take a bad image ever”
Ha, if you only knew, Philina. If you only knew…
Unless you are a connoisseur, an $8 bottle of wine can be just as satisfying as an $80 bottle. A blinded, side-by-side comparison may even reveal that the $8 wine is more pleasant to the palate than the $80 bottle. That said, I prefer the warmer image. Regardless, I will drink a toast to both of your images tonight!
Cheers, Dennis. I’ll toast ya back!
I’m curious to know if you’ve ever had a dream where you see something that’s worth taking a picture of and for whatever reason you aren’t able to snap a picture and this leaves you feeling extremely frustrated in the dream. This seems to be a recurring dream of mine. I am hardly a seasoned photographer, though I try to always have my camera with me just in case I see something I feel the desire to capture in a photograph. It’s interesting how down in the dumps I can get after failing to capture a moment with my camera that I find to be really awesome. For example, last summer as I was walking down a road in Sabino Canyon in Arizona a roadrunner just so happened to cross the road directly in front of me. There was even a point where it stopped in the middle of the road to look at my friend and I. It was an amazing experience to actually see a roadrunner (walk, not run) across a road!! You would think that I only feel awesome when I think about this experience; however, I also feel some pain in my heart because I failed to capture the entire moment with my camera’s video. I had accidentally pushed the button to record too many times so I stopped the recording. When I went to watch the video I thought I had captured, to my sheer disappointment, I discovered a 1 second video of the roadrunner. It’s hard to put words to the sadness I felt when I realized I didn’t capture that moment. I feel like I need to learn to be content with simply being present in these kinds of amazing moments and I feel the recurring dream that I have is letting me know that I still need to work on this. I have a strong feeling that you have missed some cool photographs before and I’m curious how you feel about that and if those feelings manifest in your dreams…
Sarah, There’s been many times where I’ve missed a potentially spectacular shot because of my own fumbling and bumbling and some of them will be seared in my mind forever.
I don’t dream about those situations though. My only recurring type of dream that involves photography is when, for some reason, I’ve lost my big lens and can’t find it. Anywhere! Those kinds of dreams seem to last forever and never, ever reach a conclusion. I suspect that Freud might have had something to say about that…
I’m going to echo what Roger said and add that familiar ridiculously redundant Oh WOW to the mix! What glorious images! I prefer the second shot SLIGHTLY over the first because to my eye, the wet feathers pop a little more than the first, but both shots are spectacular. I just love chukars, but for several different reasons beyond their outrageous beauty! 🙂
Laura, I suspect that one of your reasons for liking Chukars might be culinary. I’ve never tasted them but I used to really enjoy eating pheasants.
Funny about lighting preferences. I see why you like the second image, but I prefer the first, mostly because I like the colors better. Also, in the first image the lighting gives a much better sense of a miserably wet bird. The warm light gives the second image a more upbeat feeling.
“Funny about lighting preferences”
Isn’t that the truth, Susan. To each his own.
I like both images, but actually prefer the first…I like the cool colors and the water “pearls” on the grass…I second what Roger said….
Thanks, Patty. I figure that some might prefer the first shot.
Both lighting situations have their pluses/minus’s The 2nd is my preference. I do find that I often prefer cloudy days for close ups of flowers tho. 🙂
I can see how diffused light could be excellent for flower photography, Judy.
Ron, I am constantly blown away by the quality of your images! Composition, sharpness, lighting are most often close to “perfect.” I know, often in your mind you see some little thing that you wish was better, but to those of us who view your images, and enjoy your narratives, we think you do a magnificent job on all levels. Thank you for giving all of us “targets of perfection” to strive for….. ;-)))
PS:… yes, I too prefer the warmer light.. it’s just more “pleasing to the eye.”
I appreciate the kind words, Roger. Thanks.
The warm light is very nice Ron. So is the photo. Curious…what is the ballpark ceiling you prefer to go with your ISO? I’m right around 1200 with my 7DII.
Zaphir, my psychological barrier is ISO 800 (that’s my default setting when I arrive on location at dawn) but I think that’s partially a leftover from my 7D days. With the Mark II I can comfortably go a little higher but of course I prefer not to.