Busy Week Equals One Picture

After a hectic week at work, house viewings and buying, weekend appointments and burglar alarm repairs; I only managed one photograph. I had an 1 1/2 spare on Saturday morning so I raced of to Marazion to see whats around.  Answer nothing apart from grey cloud, the marsh was virtually lifeless early am apart from two Gulls keeping each other warm!!!

RPS Nature Group 2010 Exibition

For the first time this year I entered images for selection in the RPS Nature Group Exhibition 2010. The image below was selected to be part of the exhibition later this year. Didn't get any awards but selection is an ok start. The exibition will be featured at various locations later this year, I will post dates, venues etc when known. 

Canon 7D Settings

Hi,

I have had several requests for information regarding the settings I use on the 7D. I will gladly detail them here but please bear in mind that what works for me may not for you. Also most of my images are taken with a tripod mounted camera/lens. I have arranged my three custom buttons  as follows:

Custom 1: Birds in Flight with a Cluttered Background
Image Quality: RAW produces the highest quality file.
Single Point AF Manual Selection (If you can keep one point on the bird the AF will not be confused by the background)
Focus Mode: AI Servo AF (for moving subjects)
ISO 400 (just my most common used ISO setting in UK lighting)
Drive Mode: H (High Speed Continuos Drive)
White Balance: AWB ( I just leave in on auto as WB is hardly constant)
Exposure Compensation: + 2/3 (normally the subject is on average darker than the background so this is my starting point, can vary and be adjusted accordinly)
Mode: AV
Metering Mode: Evaluative
Picture Style: Neutral (ideal for processing images on computer)
Custom Settings which I have applied to the Custom 1 position as follows:

Red Menu 1
Quality: RAW
Review Time: OFF
Red Menu 2
Exposure Comp/AEB:  +2/3
Clour Space: Adobe RGB
Blue Menu 2
Highlight Alert: Enable
AF Point Display: Enable
Histogram: RGB
Yellow Menu 1
Auto Power OFF: 1 min
Auto Rotate: On
File Numbering: Continuos

Orange Menu

CFn I: Exposure
4 Exposure Bracketing auto cancel 1: Off

CFn III: Autofocus/Drive AI servo tracking sensitivity

1: Mid position between 0 and Fast
3: 1 continuos AF track priority
4: 1 Focus search off
6: Enabled the following AF Modes, Single Point AF Manual Selection, Manual Select Zone AF and Manual Select Spot AF
7: 1 Continuous
9: Autofocus/drive/ display all AF points: 1 Enable
11: 2 Enable External Flash only
12: 1 Select different AF points

CFn IV: Operations Others
1: I have changed the metering (* Button) to be the AF start/stop button enabling me to start/stop the AF with my thumb


Green Menu:

Histogram: RGB
Quality: RAW
Live View Shoot: Enable
AF mode: Live Mode
My Menu Selection: Histogram, Quality, Live View Shoot, Format, AF Mode and Battery Info

Birds in Flight with a Cluttered Background

Ok so that was the custom setting and details for the custom 1 postion I am now going on to the Custom 2 position this position I use for static subject; ie perched slow moving birds/animals. I am not going to list the whole lot again but only the changes from the custom 1 postion settings.

Custom 2: Static slow/moving birds/animals

Focus Mode: One Shot AF for static subjects
ISO 200 (dropped to ISO 200 )
Drive Mode: L (Low Speed Continuos Drive)
Exposure Compensation: Set to 0 adjust as required
Metering Mode: Spot (handy for focusing on the eye of static subjects)

Custom Settings which I have applied to the Custom 2 position as follows:

Orange Menu

CFn III: Autofocus/Drive AI servo tracking sensitivity
1: Mid position between 0 and Fast
4: 1 Focus search on
6: Enabled the following AF Modes, Single Point AF Manual Selection, AF point expansion (Manual Selection) and Manual Select Spot AF

Example using Settings on Custom 2

Now on to the final set for the custom 3 position I use this for Birds in Flight with a clean background. Again I will only list the changes from the settings at Customs 1 Position

Custom 3: Birds in Flight with a Clean Background

Metering Mode: Manual Select Zone AF

Example Bird in Flight Clean Background

Ok so that is my input, these are the settings I use at present. I welcome feedback and suggestions to changes I could make to my settings hopefully this will be of use to some off you.

Heron Chicks Doing Well

With all the Easter visitors got I took a couple of hours down at Marazion to see how the Heron Chicks were coming on.  I was hoping to get a shot of the parents feeding them but gave up after 2 1/2 hours of waiting. Still as we can see from the image they are doing well. Otherwise it was rather quiet.

Heron Chicks, soon be ready to leave

Little Egret

Mute Swan in flight accross the Marsh

Gulls bored on a Sunday Afternoon.

New Life at Maza

Managed to get parked at Marazion, found a spot which hadn't been aquired by a holiday maker for the summer; so spent the afternoon here. Young Mallard, Adder and a record shot of a Great White Egret all feature today:

First Duckling for me at Marazion in 2010

"And their off" the race accross the marsh.

Carrion Crow, bit strange this I seen this one jumping in the water as if it was fishing, you can just see the last morsel disappearing down his gullet.

Shell Duck in flight

An Adder that came out to sunbathe

Chiff Chaff

Great White Egret (record shot)

Hells Mouth and St Gothians

My first post since 27th March, due to work and poor weather. Posts won't be as frequent as in the past due to work but I shall get out when I can so please keep watching. At Hells Mouth there were two Shag nests but no sign of any Cormorants nesting at present. I missed a picture opportunity of a Peregrine Falcon that flew by at close range and also two stoats thanks to an out of control dog chasing them off! At St Gothians there is a lot of Shell Ducks, Canada Geese and Sand Martins are back in large numbers.  Tricky photographing the Sand Martins and my first attempt at these with the 7D. So onto the images:

Shag on nest at Hells Mouth

Grey Seal enjoying the clear waters at Hells Mouth

Sand Martin at St Gothians

Sand Martin at St Gothians

Sand Martin at St Gothians, much easier to get than the flying shots only a little patience required.