I seldom get an image of a bird in flight that doesn’t need cropping for the best possible composition.
Bird photographers will understand and even non-photographers realize that most birds are twitchy, fidgety subjects – as you’re framing the shot they’re usually moving around. And birds are always wary of danger so they’re constantly changing the direction they’re looking and that also changes the most desirable composition of the image. And as you can imagine, a bird in flight is even more difficult to frame properly as compared to a perched bird. Getting an image that can be presented full frame isn’t easy.
Another complication is that you generally (though not always) want the bird to fill a significant portion of the frame for good detail and intimacy. Getting the subject a preferred size in the uncropped frame is often easier if you’re using a zoom lens but those of us using fixed focal length (prime) lenses don’t have that flexibility.
Some may wonder why it’s considered desirable to get an image that doesn’t need cropping – just crop the damn thing and solve the problem! But keep in mind, every time you crop an image you lose pixels and pixels contain detail. The more the image has been cropped the less image quality and detail in the resulting print, particularly if the print is a large one. Extreme crops can be likened to looking at an image in a newspaper or magazine through a magnifying glass or a microscope – all you see is dots with very little detail. In digital images those “dots” are pixels.
1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
This Barn Owl, photographed at Bear River MBR last winter, is full frame (uncropped). I was able to avoid clipping wings and I like the placement of the bird in the frame. There’s a catch light in the right eye and I enjoy the background (mountains with snow) a lot. Head on flight shots aren’t everyone’s favorite but they certainly have a place in my portfolio.
Don’t get me wrong – it’s really no big deal if an image has to be cropped moderately to get a desirable composition. The vast majority of my images have been cropped. But bird photographers can’t help being a little extra pleased when they get an image they can present full frame.
Especially if the bird’s in flight.
Ron
Snow? Colour me jealous. I would like some of that coolth.
Barn Owl? Colour me jealous again. And grateful.
An uncropped, full frame photo of a bird in flight? You know what colour I am.
Signing off: Green eyes and grateful.
I’ll bet it IS warm down there, EC. Right now I’m glad for the snow (not much of it though) because of my cooler full of food outside on the patio.
Yeah, another OH WOW! And I get that non-cropped image thing. We’re always searching for that perfect shot/perfect hunt (when all the critters work together in a common cause)/or that perfect lap (for race drivers). And it’s not as easy as it looks to make that happen! And then, you celebrate for a minute or two and then back to making it happen again 🙂
Yup, you get it, Laura. Thanks.
Really shows how long the wings are. Did not realize they had such a huge win span. Very nice.
Trudy, their wingspan is about 3 1/2 feet.
Head on, in flight, catchlight, uncropped. Definitely a major accomplishment. I generally tend to prefer other views than head-on, but I love that you nailed this Barn Owl.
I prefer other angles too, Susan – but like you that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the head-on angle too. Thanks.
Yep, that’s a keeper! Love the moment you look at the back screen and think “WOW”, I nailed that one and one”. And one of the reasons to keep coming back to try for another. Congratulations on this one.
Thank you, Frank.
Beautiful…love the straight on angle….And the cloud-like snowy background….
Glad you like the bird flying at the viewer, Patty. Some people don’t. Thank you.
I think anyone who had ever raised an owl, or other bird (and falconers, too), would like the heading straight toward you shots…it’s a great feeling when they’re heading straight “home” to you….
I’m sure you’re right about that, Patty.
Patty you’re absolutely right! I’ve tried several times to capture a photo of Mariah and Jack flying to me, but holding the camera plus holding out the one glove (with a tidbit) made that task impossible. Whoever thought this to-handed design was sufficient for humans was WAY off base–redundancy is good 🙂
Wow! Love this shot – can almost feel winter winds on my face! Nicely done, Ron!
That’s kind of what it looks like outside my window right now, Diana – snow!
Stunning. I like this because it makes the bird feel so present.
It’s almost in our faces, isn’t it, Arwen.
It’s a lovely reminder. I thought of you. Saw about ten wild turkeys in north Texas on my way home. 🙂
Good for you. And for the turkeys.
YES! Beautiful capture, Ron! Cropping does have +/- for sure. The owl REALLY filled the frame. 🙂 Did your camera issues get resolved?
“Did your camera issues get resolved?”
Judy, Sadly, no. But I have too much on my plate to deal with it right now.
Wow! So cool. This photo is another reminder for me of the huge wingspan of the barn owl. I really like the patches of blue sky in the background. Also, for some reason the bit of shadow and that wingspan makes me think of The Phantom of the Opera. Go figure.
Congratulations on a superb shot, Ron!
That should read the bit of shadow on the owl’s face. I shouldn’t try to think and type at the same time. 😉
Thank you, Marty. That background looks a lot like sky with clouds but it’s actually snow-covered mountains.
That makes it even cooler! I thought it was mountains and sky. Ain’t refraction a marvelous thing? 🙂