Nothing serious today. Just a little fun, except for another observation about heat waves/temperature disparity affecting image quality and sharpness. That part is serious, at least for me.
I’m still on a reflections roll.
Readers will likely remember this photo of a male Common Goldeneye I posted four days ago. I had some fun at his expense by referring to him as “Mr. Fathead” because of his enlarged head in the reflection. I suspect a few folks may have been a little uncomfortable with that name, perhaps because they thought I was being cruel and insensitive. One comment suggested that I should have called him “Mr. Big Head” instead. Personally I think it was just harmless fun and I’m about to do something like it again.
The size of the goldeneye’s head was distorted in the reflection by the curved surface of the water in the bow wave in front of him. The effect is similar to what happens with a funhouse mirror. In this case the head was enlarged but it can go either way.
And it did, earlier that same morning.
Meet “Mr. Pinhead”.
When I first saw this photo I literally laughed out loud. In this pose the Pied-billed Grebe looked to me like ‘he’ was trying to appear dignified but the reflection of his head completely destroyed any such illusion, at least for me. Reflections can be flattering or mercilessly unflattering and this grebe came out on the short end of the stick.
The irony is, milliseconds before and after I took this photo, his reflections only enhanced his rather statuesque pose and in those photos I thought he was one handsome dude. Reflections matter.
A few minutes earlier this grebe, probably the same bird as in the previous photo, caught and ate a fish. He was so far away I very nearly didn’t take any photos of him. Until that morning most of my photos had been soft, apparently due to differential contraction and expansion of the components of my lens when I poked it out my warm pickup window into the very cold air. The image quality of my photos taken from my pickup, especially when the subject was far away, had consistently been atrocious.
But on this day I was shooting from my tripod, so my lens and the ambient air were the same temperature and I was getting tack sharp shots. This photo has been cropped to only 30% of the original image (6 MP out of 20 MP) and I think, given how much I’ve cropped the photo, the image quality and sharpness are very good to excellent.
I can’t tell you how relieved I was to get it pretty much confirmed that there’s nothing wrong with my lens. The last thing I need is to have to send it back to Canon for repair. Again.
Ron
So THAT’S what happens when I don’t recognize that fat person in the mirror! It’s just a ripple in the space-time continuum! Takes a great weight off my mind (and my reflection!) Thank you so much, Ron!
Yup, that’s it, MIkal. It’s just an illusion!
Loving the reflections, the ripples, the fun with optics, and the fun with language by the author of this blog. 🙂
I also find interesting the level of post-dive dishevelment of the two birds. The goldeneye must be using Brylcreem (a little dab’ll do ya). 😉
“Brylcreem (a little dab’ll do ya).”
You’re dating us both, Marty. And now I have the earworm!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6F4GtyRfto
But that’s infinitely better than the guy I read about in the news yesterday who had a cockroach in his ear for three days. No kidding…
As a Jazz Music enthusiast, the gifted saxophone virtuoso, Dave ‘Fathead Newman’ is probably my very favorite. His “Hard Times” rendition introduced Joel Dorn’s FM Jazz radio program from Philadelphia, PA in the 60’s.
Author E.B. White, “The Trumpet of the Swan” starring ‘Lewis’ enthralled our grandchildren as they took turns reading aloud with my wife and me. That Lewis hung his horn at Philadelphia Zoo while gigging in Jersey, scoring resources to rescue fair Serena stokes my fantasy. Would that Lewis could jam with ‘Fathead Newman’ a piano and bass – among my wilder dreams!
Carry on Ron. Feathered photography is wonderful fatheads and all. Many Thanks!
Thanks for the jazz lesson, Gary. And for the support.
Laughed out loud!!! So funny!!! Am also so happy your lens is fine – whew!
And whoever wrote a critical comment about ‘Fathead’ needs more to do with his/her day. Seriously! It’s YOUR blog Ron – keep writing away! We all LOVE it and appreciate YOU. 🙂
I’m glad you laughed, Kathleen. I couldn’t help laughing myself.
I don’t think the commenter was necessarily being critical. I took it as just stating a preference.
Reflections DO matter. I avoid mine but am always glad to see those of birds, even those where the ‘fun house’ element is to the fore. Colour me inconsisten.
Thanks, EC.
Shame on you, Mr. Dudley, for disparaging these birds, funny though they are. Wait, upon further reflection (pun intended) you are making fun of their reflections, and since they are illusory, the court of public opinion must find you harmless. At least I do.
I like your reasoning, Lyle.
Reflections and light are half the fun of photography. I am seeing a nice selection of ducks on local ponds. Today was pond three in three days. I did not spend much time for photos, I will have to stop by one day at one of the ponds for photos. I guess with warmer weather the ponds are open for water fowl and people are out walking and fishing. I got another request to help a bird tangled in fishing line late yesterday night, when I found the bird this morning something had eaten the entangled duck, most likely overnight. I saw racoon prints in the mud in the area.
Yes, this is my favorite time of year for ducks on our ponds. Sorry to hear that your potential patient turned out to be a midnight snack for a predator or scavenger.
Excellent photography and very entertaining post. I don’t think any of the language police ever served in the military. I still chuckle today thinking back at the names our drill instructor called us in boot camp back in 1955.
“I don’t think any of the language police ever served in the military.”
Everett, I’ve never been in the military but I still feel confident that you can bet your bottom dollar on that. At least not in the ranks of the drill instructors.
What is it with the language police? There are truly offensive insults and anybody with even a single manner in the manners department will object. But for fathead? Bighead is just as bad, means you’re totally wrapped up in yourself. Which I suspect is the case with the language police. They irritate me. Oh, you could tell?
Sallie, I don’t think this was an example of language police. I took it as just a statement of preference.
What a delightful set! Thanks for the levity along with your usual gorgeous photography. So glad your camera is in good shape!
Me too. Thanks, Sheila.
I’ve just spent some time with all of these reflection photos, and ended up grinning a little. My problem’s the opposite: taking my camera and lens from an air conditioned car into heat and humidity. I’ve had to learn through trial and error how to keep myself cool and the camera warm!
And, yes: ‘fathead’ and ‘pinhead’ are perfectly acceptable terms, as is ‘patootie.’ As a matter of fact, my mother used to call me ‘pinhead’ from time to time.
Great, great shots and the laugh they provoked was a great way to start a lazy morning as we quietly celebrated my fella’s 80th birthday on this cold, grey and blustery morning. Love the Fathead/Pinhead descriptions which make the shots twice as memorable.
Thanks, Granny Pat. And Happy Birthday to your fella.
Shoreacres, I’m still going through the trial and error thing in an effort to solve my problem. Sadly, this morning it was mostly “error”.
It’s all been a giggle for me! 🙂 Reflections are amazing and fun. SO glad it’s not the lens tho doesn’t take away the frustration when the soft photos happen……. 🙁 Pretty good sized fish for the grebe to deal with!
“It’s all been a giggle for me! ”
Good.
The grebe didn’t have any trouble swallowing that fish. Its biggest problem was another grebe threatening to take it away from him. Thanks, Judy.