Ducks on the Wing?

[bassmann77]

I am very new to photography and I really like to take shots of ducks on the wing. I see some great shots on this forum and was wondering how to get my own shots like this. I am wondering what type of glass I should look to purchase and what type of shots I should expect without any cropping or editing on the computer.

I appreciate all the help and I have learned a lot just going through all of these topics over the past few months.

[Dbl]

What type of camera do you have?

[bassmann77]

I have a Canon Rebel XS.

[eyeguy 54]

might have to spend a lot of money if not cropping or editing. even then it can be tough. Personally I see nothing wrong with cropping and editing. The finished pic is what I alike however it's done. Just my .02 welcome aboard!

[Dbl]

First off welcome to the photography world! You will have a great time with your new hobby! First off glance through the sticky at the top of this forum Photography Basics

A read through that will be helpful and get you started on lenses that will work as starters, etc. After that come back here and ask away if you want more specifics.

You may also find some good information located HERE

[bassmann77]

Thanks for the links. I read all of those and have read a few books. After reading all of info, I was wondering about lens speed. I took a few pictures yesterday of ducks on the wing and I will try to post them when I take them of the card. What I noticed is that most of my picts are not really sharp, and the few that are a lot better, they still are not really tack sharp. Just wondering if that is what I will get with the zoom lens that I have. It is the basic beginner 75-300mm Canon lens. Sorry for all of the questions, just this place as some really knowledgeable people that can help a newbie out.

[MN Shutterbug]

Ducks are mighty fast, except when they're coming in for a landing. You'd better be shooting at least 1/1250 sec. shutter speed, and that takes some decent light and large aperture. You may even have to bump up the ISO to attain the shutter speed you need.

[eyeguy 54]

yes indeed, that good light is so important.

[Dbl]

Once you post a shot or two we can help you a bit more. By looking at the data on your files it will be easy to see what your camera settings were. Then we can go from there and give you some advice on where to start.

[bassmann77]

Here is what I thought were the best of the shots that I took on Sunday. I know the lighting was not the best. It was pretty gray out.

[Dbl]

Could you post them a bit larger, about 800 pixels on the longest side would be good? Pretty tough to see anything at this size. Also if you could post them with the EXIF data intact that would be a big help. I don't use Photobucket so I don't know if there is a setting that strips that from the photos but you might take a look and see.

[bassmann77]

f/5.6 1/400sec ISO-250 300mm

f/5.6 1/400sec ISO-250 300mm

[Dbl]

They certainly don't look to bad. Under those grey skies I would not be afraid to bump up your ISO a bit. It is nice to get at least double the focal length of your lens to help eliminate lens shake or handhold shake from your shots. It won't eliminate it completely but it will sure help. In this case AT LEAST 1/1000s would be nice

You will get better results with your subject being closer to you. I like to fill the frame with as much of the subject as possible. That will require some stalking stills, just like hunting! You will find it easier to track and the focus to stay with you as well when the duck is nearer. Now it would be possible to crop these shots to "pull" the duck in "closer" but there are downsides to that. With a lower end lens and a smaller sensor you WILL lose image quality.

When I zoomed in closer I noticed a fair amount of purple fringing around your subject. That is fairly common with consumer grade lenses. That can be made less visible when shooting against a lighter background, like blue sky or clouds. Not much you can do unless you are going to spend a lot of money on higher end lenses.

The next hurdle you will encounter are metering issues based on both light and background shooting against and the subject itself. When have some questions on that we can tackle that issue!

All in all everything looks to be right on track here. Use a bit higher shutter speed and get your subject a bit closer and I think you will be happier with your results. Keep posting and sharing your work, the more you shoot the better your results!

This is a woodie pair example that will show more detail because I was closer.

f6.3, 1/1600s, ISO 400 420mm (300 with a 1.4TC) +2/3 Exposure Comp. Notice the ISO even though it was sunny out.

This was shot with a 70-200 at 100mm.

[MN Shutterbug]

Personally, I won't even attempt BIF (bird in flight) shots when the skies are gray. Not only is it tougher to get the shutter speed up, it also makes it tougher for the AF to lock in as fast. If you want an easier subject to practice on, geese are larger and easier to track. Pelicans are another easy subject.

This was at ISO 400 and 1/2500 sec.

[bassmann77]

Thanks for all of the advice. I really appreciate everything that was said and have jotted all of this down. I can't wait till I get out again and put this information into use.

[Cyberfish]

Good tips! thanks! I tried some and got my first blue wing teal! 1/1600th second 400 iso

[eyeguy 54]

Nice job!

[Deitz Dittrich]

Great shot!