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Gato Moteado

(9,961 posts)
Sat Oct 14, 2023, 12:19 PM Oct 2023

close-up portrait of a bald eagle...you need to see this and here is why!

i was probably about 8 feet away from this bird, which was in an aviary at a raptor rescue center and there was a thick gauge screen between us. the amazing part is that the bird was only a few inches behind the screen. i used my nikon Z8 with the 300mm f/4 PF lens shot wide open at f/4. miraculously, even though the bird was so close to the screen, it was rendered so out of focus that it became invisible. this is common when the subject is farther back from the screen or bars at a zoo but i wouldn't have imagined it with the subject almost up to the screen.

P.S. there was nothing i could do about his feather sticking out of his nostril.



here is the screen on the front of the aviary:

46 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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close-up portrait of a bald eagle...you need to see this and here is why! (Original Post) Gato Moteado Oct 2023 OP
Great shot! Good that you tried it anyway in spite of the screen Walleye Oct 2023 #1
thank you...yes, i could see in the viewfinder that the screen wasn't showing..... Gato Moteado Oct 2023 #27
Oh, wow.... Bayard Oct 2023 #2
it's not bad, thanks.....i'll do better as i master the new camera Gato Moteado Oct 2023 #28
You could Photoshop it away. nt Cartoonist Oct 2023 #3
yeah, but that's a PITA. nt druidity33 Oct 2023 #5
beautiful eagle eye eShirl Oct 2023 #4
yeah, their eyes are interesting Gato Moteado Oct 2023 #29
Beautiful shot! tavernier Oct 2023 #6
ok....hold on a minute....... Gato Moteado Oct 2023 #19
The dog is a four pound mix of pure cuteness tavernier Oct 2023 #22
ah, yeah, i understand Gato Moteado Oct 2023 #24
Beautiful! liberalla Oct 2023 #7
thanks.....i get a lucky shot every now and then Gato Moteado Oct 2023 #30
Hmmmm Traildogbob Oct 2023 #8
i hope not. Gato Moteado Oct 2023 #31
wow ...what a beautiful raptor. i miss them here where i live when they go wherever dawn5651 Oct 2023 #9
how far north are you? Gato Moteado Oct 2023 #20
i am in new brunswick which is in eastern canada....and yes they leave but because of the work they dawn5651 Oct 2023 #43
Magnificent bird! And a terrific picture! lastlib Oct 2023 #10
yes, raptors are amazing Gato Moteado Oct 2023 #32
This one fierce looking raptor. Deuxcents Oct 2023 #11
i love them.... Gato Moteado Oct 2023 #33
awesome shot. and interesting info about the cage "disapearing" prodigitalson Oct 2023 #12
yes, you can make things in the foreground disappear by rendering them.... Gato Moteado Oct 2023 #34
Gorgeous! There's a pair that nests about 400 yards or so up the hill. We live Goddessartist Oct 2023 #13
how high up is the nest? Gato Moteado Oct 2023 #35
It's in a pine tree in the forested area behind our Goddessartist Oct 2023 #40
Great shot!!! just amazing. mountain grammy Oct 2023 #14
thank you.....not really amazing tho....it was a pretty easy shot since the bird is captive..... Gato Moteado Oct 2023 #36
Actually I think the birds are amazing mountain grammy Oct 2023 #46
As I get older, the hair on my head is moving to my nostrils! Kind of a similar thing?!?!?! TeamProg Oct 2023 #15
how do you like the Z7ii? Gato Moteado Oct 2023 #21
It will do more than I need I'm sure. I like the lens selections TeamProg Oct 2023 #25
Well done! 2naSalit Oct 2023 #16
yeah, with the bird right up to the screen Gato Moteado Oct 2023 #37
It all depends. 2naSalit Oct 2023 #41
Very nice photo - Backseat Driver Oct 2023 #17
hey there.....thanks....yes, i know about the contest..... Gato Moteado Oct 2023 #23
Fantastic! In the true meaning of the word. nt TeamProg Oct 2023 #26
thanks....but i'm not quite there yet Gato Moteado Oct 2023 #38
Amazing photo! Callalily Oct 2023 #18
thank you...as always, you are too kind! Gato Moteado Oct 2023 #39
Thanks for the information! Much appreciated. Callalily Oct 2023 #44
Spectacular, as usual! Nice job! HAB911 Oct 2023 #42
thank you Gato Moteado Oct 2023 #45

Gato Moteado

(9,961 posts)
27. thank you...yes, i could see in the viewfinder that the screen wasn't showing.....
Sun Oct 15, 2023, 05:44 AM
Oct 2023

....i'm sure the unseen matrix of blur compromised sharpness, but overall, it's not too bad

tavernier

(13,272 posts)
6. Beautiful shot!
Sat Oct 14, 2023, 01:03 PM
Oct 2023

But if that’s the same eagle that tried to swoop down and pick up my dog on the farm last year, you missed the pattern of my tennis racket on his hind end.

Gato Moteado

(9,961 posts)
19. ok....hold on a minute.......
Sat Oct 14, 2023, 09:15 PM
Oct 2023

.....you carry a tennis racket when you walk your dog on a farm?

there's gotta be a great story behind all that.

tavernier

(13,272 posts)
22. The dog is a four pound mix of pure cuteness
Sat Oct 14, 2023, 09:30 PM
Oct 2023

but obviously looks like lunch to the eagle that seems to spot her every time we walk out to the barn. He came pretty close one time and only missed getting her when I jumped around screaming and waving my arms. From then on I carried a tennis racket to wave around just in case. We’ve since gone with the leash which she hates, but since it’s my daughter’s farm, I would hate to be responsible for losing her dog when I’m visiting

dawn5651

(657 posts)
9. wow ...what a beautiful raptor. i miss them here where i live when they go wherever
Sat Oct 14, 2023, 01:28 PM
Oct 2023

it is they go for the winter.

dawn5651

(657 posts)
43. i am in new brunswick which is in eastern canada....and yes they leave but because of the work they
Sun Oct 15, 2023, 07:10 AM
Oct 2023

have done to make nests for the raptors the bald eagles and hawks have come back to this area...

lastlib

(24,961 posts)
10. Magnificent bird! And a terrific picture!
Sat Oct 14, 2023, 01:35 PM
Oct 2023


Years ago, I was at a Scout event where they exhibited a bald eagle that had been blinded in an accident and so could not be returned to the wild. I was fortunate enough to get a chance to hold a piece of fish and let the bird take it out of my hand (it almost got a finger in the process!) That was a mountaintop experience for me!

Gato Moteado

(9,961 posts)
32. yes, raptors are amazing
Sun Oct 15, 2023, 05:50 AM
Oct 2023

when i lived in FL i raised a baby red shouldered hawk that fell from a nest. when it reached adulthood, it was so well behaved with me that i didn't need to wear a glove when it perched on my arm.

Gato Moteado

(9,961 posts)
34. yes, you can make things in the foreground disappear by rendering them....
Sun Oct 15, 2023, 05:56 AM
Oct 2023

...way out of focus. it's why dust and smudges on your lens don't show up in photos. but normally, your subject needs to be a good distance from the bars or screen in the cage......this eagle was right up to the mesh. the fact that i was using a telephoto lens at its widest aperture (f/4) and that i was so close to the subject (within about 8 feet) is what made the depth of field in the shot so narrow....but still, i wouldn't expect that the mesh would be completely invisibly.....i figured there's be some out of focus lines showing up. i imagine the overall sharpness of the shot was compromised, but at least no obstruction was visible.

Goddessartist

(2,067 posts)
13. Gorgeous! There's a pair that nests about 400 yards or so up the hill. We live
Sat Oct 14, 2023, 01:56 PM
Oct 2023

on Vashon Island, WA. I love them and all of the wildlife here.

Goddessartist

(2,067 posts)
40. It's in a pine tree in the forested area behind our
Sun Oct 15, 2023, 06:27 AM
Oct 2023

friends' house. Pretty high up. One can see the nest from the back of their house. We see them at the beach and on the KVI tower on the beach.

Gato Moteado

(9,961 posts)
36. thank you.....not really amazing tho....it was a pretty easy shot since the bird is captive.....
Sun Oct 15, 2023, 05:58 AM
Oct 2023

....but when i get back to CR and spend time around the monkeys with the new gear, i hope to make something amazing!

mountain grammy

(27,338 posts)
46. Actually I think the birds are amazing
Sun Oct 15, 2023, 06:10 PM
Oct 2023

we watch them all the time.. love the close up of the head and the feather in his nose.. looking forward to more.

 

TeamProg

(6,630 posts)
15. As I get older, the hair on my head is moving to my nostrils! Kind of a similar thing?!?!?!
Sat Oct 14, 2023, 02:29 PM
Oct 2023

Aarf!

Nice pic! What Image Quality setting did you shoot this with? And in general?

I just got a new Z7II this last July from B&H with a 24-120 S 4.0 and 14-30 S 4.0. Fun stuff! Finally sold most of my old large and medium format gear (Linhof Tech IV, Mamiya RB67 stuff).

Still deciding on resolution modes to shoot in. 50 MB individual files takes up a lot of storage.

Gato Moteado

(9,961 posts)
21. how do you like the Z7ii?
Sat Oct 14, 2023, 09:22 PM
Oct 2023

i shoot RAW + jpg fine (heif). anything i post anywhere, i process from RAW and only save the jpg for reference.

 

TeamProg

(6,630 posts)
25. It will do more than I need I'm sure. I like the lens selections
Sat Oct 14, 2023, 11:56 PM
Oct 2023

and VR for smaller f stops.

It’s weird paying 1,400 or more for a zoom when really fine large format prime lenses for my Linhof 4x5 might cost 500 for nice Schneider.

As I wrote I have a 14-30 and the 24-120 so I’m thinking about the new-ish 100-400 S as a next lens.

So far so good. It’s all very new to me.

Gato Moteado

(9,961 posts)
37. yeah, with the bird right up to the screen
Sun Oct 15, 2023, 05:59 AM
Oct 2023

i wouldn't have thought the screen would be rendered invisible.

2naSalit

(93,098 posts)
41. It all depends.
Sun Oct 15, 2023, 06:37 AM
Oct 2023

It really depends on the screen, distance of subject and the lens. For me it's 50/50 so I try to avoid those shots... but I still try on occasion.

Backseat Driver

(4,636 posts)
17. Very nice photo -
Sat Oct 14, 2023, 03:07 PM
Oct 2023

You do know that DU has a member themed photo contest. Don't recall others you may have posted, but I'd sure love see more. (for encouragement). Perhaps a photograph group member can assist you for those. I sure hope to see more of your shots.

Gato Moteado

(9,961 posts)
23. hey there.....thanks....yes, i know about the contest.....
Sat Oct 14, 2023, 09:39 PM
Oct 2023

.....but i'm happy just to watch it from the sidelines.

i've been posting photos in this group for years. i live in costa rica so most of my photos are wildlife shots. here are a few to give you an idea of what i do:









































here are some shots from the US:






Gato Moteado

(9,961 posts)
38. thanks....but i'm not quite there yet
Sun Oct 15, 2023, 06:05 AM
Oct 2023

even tho i studied film photography in college in the 1980s and had been shooting for decades, i took a long hiatus from it and only got back into it seriously in the last 4 or 5 years. the weak link for me, at the moment, is post production. i plan to do some online training to improve that part.

Gato Moteado

(9,961 posts)
39. thank you...as always, you are too kind!
Sun Oct 15, 2023, 06:13 AM
Oct 2023

normally, if you're shooting birds (and most other wildlife with a telephoto lens) you want to shoot wide open anyway...even if the animal is not captive with cage material to shoot through, there are branches, and foliage and other distractions that you want to render out of focus.

i can't remember which camera you had, but next time you go out to photograph birds, set the aperture to wide open (the smallest number) and set the camera to single point auto focus area mode and place the focus point somewhere near the center of the frame.....then when you see a bird within shooting distance, place that focus point over the eye, acquire focus and shoot.

when you shoot wide open, you're getting very little depth of field (range in front of and behind the subject that will be in reasonable focus) so you want to be dead on with the focal plane, and that's why you want to use single point auto focus area mode (instead of letting the camera decide where to focus)....the newer mirrorless cameras have animal eye detection AF area mode....i haven't tried it yet on my camera.

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