Photographer's Note
Scores of swans migrate from Siberia to a patch of the Abukuma River on the outskirts of Fukushima City in Touhoku (north-east) Japan.
I panned with this swan as it gathered speed to take to the wing. You can see from the sharply focused head and neck that I succeeded with the pan. I kind of like the way the wings blurred during the relatively long exposure showing the vertical movement. The patches on the water are ducks, blurred so much that they aren't recognizable. I cropped the top and bottom of the shot making a panarama.
eleparc, Riz, hispic, Vagabond, Albrecht, rubisheikh, nunop, banaei_nikon oznaczył to zdjęcie jeko użyteczne
Critiques | Translate
milloup
(1829) 2003-11-17 6:37
Well, Martin, I sure like it too. It's a very nice catch, even down to the spray from the still trailing feet ;-)
carper
(96) 2003-11-17 6:40
Martin. This is realy a nice shot. You can see the speed off the wings very good. Good job.
avigur_11
(22553) 2003-11-17 6:45
Wow. A sine-shaped curved is formed by the right wing. Very impressive. Well well done.
olli
(2091) 2003-11-17 6:51
Very difficult shot to take but the result is just perfect. Great combination of sharpness and the motion blur in the wings and feet. Very-very-very well captured.
aferrao
(1145) 2003-11-17 7:00
The shutter speed was just perfect!
The panning is very good, as well as the efect on the wings!
ninadev
(5377) 2003-11-17 7:35
Absolutely perfect span. I tried this during the week-end and realized how it is difficult, I don't see the day where I could get such a result. Congratulations.
ornis
(1271) 2003-11-17 7:42
Perfectly catched, with many attractive points as the blurred wing ends and movement remaining images, sharp head, water splashes, overall elegance. A kind of shot I'd like to do!
Edwin
(188) 2003-11-17 8:22
I actually haven't tried the panning technique myself, but you succeeded very well here. Perfectly focussed, and the feeling of motion is dazzling. A superb shot Martin, my 6 out 5 for the execution as well!
Hikoke (148) 2003-11-17 9:37
This photo truly captures the magic and excitement of flight. The sense of movement is outstanding.
flip89
(3418) 2003-11-17 15:04
Just exquisite photography, this. As the ad says, you can take the almost in almost perfect.
Catcher
(845) 2003-11-17 18:02
Don´t know what to say...just PERFECT!like the way the head of the swan is focused!
mdchachi
(1612) 2003-11-18 16:53
Nice pan indeed, very impressive! I think I might start a panning theme...
Coyote
(457) 2003-11-18 20:23
He-l of a shot! Pushing the limits of my meager abilities but you nailed it. At first I thought maybe too much blur, but now I think not. You did what you set out to do. Kudos, as per usual. I agree with Ornis, "I'd like to have taken it".
Porteplume
(4036) 2003-11-29 8:34
Speed and Elegancy!
You succeeded so well in freezing the mouvement, the head absolutely sharp, the wings busy to take off...
I also rather like the chosen format and the composition in blue/gray & white tones. Very well done Martin!
quegardens
(1469) 2003-12-17 14:10
Superb capture Martin....the sharpness of the head anchors the fluid motion that follows. I like how nature displays the rhythmic curves of wing movement.
On a day such as today when we remember the history of man's first flight, it is revealing to know that flight is really nothing new to the more adept:-)
dovi
(1068) 2003-12-19 14:36
Perfect dynamic shot, you could tell how much effort it takes for it to take off....
Amos
(683) 2003-12-24 9:03
A very good timing and a skillfull hands.You have captured the speed and the movement of the swan very successfully. Nice colour too.
flamingo
(109) 2004-01-01 22:00
There are so many good things about this photo. The scan to keep the swan in focus, the shutter speed to give the feeling of take off, the contrast between dark and light, and the range of color that was not lost between the dark and the light. Thanks, Bill
femkevdh
(2633) 2004-01-11 17:09
incredible capture! Amazing how you managed to get his head so sharp and the movement of the wings so detailed and beautiful. Great work!
amitai
(879) 2004-03-04 11:12
This is one of the better nature photos I have seen. Great panning, great composition, great light.
francis
(697) 2004-03-13 8:58
A beautiful pan shot....the power and gracefulness is wonderful....you have done the swan justice, very well done!
rbimages (290) 2004-03-17 0:49 [Comment]
mcreider
(673) 2004-03-17 0:56
Great technique and overall artistic quality. How many frames have you done I wonder.
lbadge320 (15) 2004-05-27 23:08 [Comment]
Riz
(0) 2004-08-06 5:21
wondeful capture here Martin love the movement your note was quite useful as well great job
daninhoc
(690) 2004-09-09 11:47
how can you do that with 1/15. When I try to do something like that, it is always something wrong.
-the bird is flying towards me
-or the bird flies away from
-the sharpness is somewhere else
Can you give some hints?
emralc (174) 2004-09-30 6:51 [Comment]
kooki
(556) 2004-10-28 15:30
L'exact perfection de la beautée du geste. Moment rarissime.
Felicitation O
baudinm
(349) 2005-05-11 11:05
Hi Martin,
This is a very nice shot with a great subject.
The frame is well chosen.
The contrast between the blurred wings and the head is very interesting.
We can even imagine the droplets behind the legs of the animal.
Bravo !
Amicalement,
Michaël
ukasz
(803) 2005-08-27 15:20
amazing shot, i see that you really like "cathing" lively creatures on the move :) great sharpness of the bird... very well done :)
rajhema
(1873) 2006-02-27 15:17
Did you take this picture using "Sport" mode? Please explain how you did it.
Rajesh
melody_garden
(170) 2006-03-03 19:30
Amazing panning, I should say. Seems pretty hard to get achievement.
The swan itself is very sharp. Just so amazing, i wonder how many times you got to cast one suceseful shot...
Regards,
Mi
Albrecht
(11283) 2006-03-10 3:35
Hi Martin
Wonderful shot and well timed. Good DOF with the head sharp. Well done.
-greetings Albrecht-
Sittivet
(565) 2006-03-10 3:57
I like to see some motion in a photo and this is a very fine example. You did well to have the head and neck sharp at 1/15 sec. The splash of water from the feet make this photo special, well done.
danielswalsh
(13597) 2006-05-28 21:57
Superb shot Martin;
I cannot believe the sharpness of the head in relation to the extreme blur of the wings and water.
He must have been flapping those wings really fast!
Great job panning, like a robot locked onto the birds head.
Cheers!
- Dan
nunop
(62) 2006-09-17 11:23
wonderfull photo...
the panning is perfect with the head perfectly focused. I love the wing movements!
hyasar
(7775) 2007-01-01 20:29
Hi Martin,
this is amazing! You are very successful on panning technic.
congratulations,
Hakan
QBI
(309) 2007-05-31 17:23
Hi Martin,
Wonderful take-off:D And the shot is perfect as well as the swan flies:)
Tamas
rubisheikh
(77) 2007-05-31 17:40
Hi Martin,
Excellent shot,Technique, Wonderful result, Well done, TFS
Best regards rubi.
coco
(30439) 2009-01-05 4:08
Hi Martin.
Great picture. The motion is amazing and you show your skills in this picture.
Well done.
denizliburak (43) 2012-05-02 16:30
merhabalar.
güzel teknik, güzel kuş.
saygılarımla.
Rifat.
Hi.
beautiful technique, beautiful bird.
best regards.
Rifat.
Photo Information
-
Copyright: Martin Bailey (Bayleaf)
(1484)
- Genre: Miejsca
- Medium: Kolorowe
- Date Taken: 2003-11-16
- Categories: Natura
- Camera: Canon EOS 10D, 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 Ř72, JPEG ISO 100
- Naświetlenie: f/14.0, 1/15 sekund
- Wersja zdjęcia: Oryginalna wersja
- Temat(y): Animals & Wildlife, Les oiseaux, Panning (Technique), birds /oiseaux, Flight of the Birds, Jumping with Joy, The beauty of Swans, Swans Cygnes, My favorite photos (7) (Gatti Matti), Kasia's Favourites 6 [view contributor(s)]
- Date Submitted: 2003-11-17 6:34
- Ulubione: 25 [Widok]
Discussions
- To mcreider: Just Three (1)
by Bayleaf, last updated 2004-03-22 06:59 - To daninhoc: Panning Technique (1)
by Bayleaf, last updated 2004-09-13 09:24